The Animal Within: You can't cage the Beast
by Mad Ass Dragon
Summary: The Invincible Monster of the Forest. That's what they call him. The boy who was murdered, and then reborn from the depths as a Monster. Death. All it did was make him stronger. He is hunted day and night by his enemy, who seeks to finish what he started. It comes down to the age old question. How do you kill what's already dead? WARNING!: Dark story.
1. Summer Camp

**Chapter 1: Summer camp**

 **Hey guys!**

 **If you're new, the name is Mad Dragon (Mad as in insane!).**

 **If you guys want to drop a suggestion feel free to PM me, or drop a review with your idea, I'll do everything I can to include your suggestions and ideas.**

 **My last attempt at an amourshipping…. Was an epic fail! This time** _ **IS**_ **better, read on for yourselves to see, I've actually planned this version. Some aspects from the last attempt worked and have been brought over.**

 **I promise to give shout outs to everyone who drops a review and answer any and all questions that have been raised. If the answer contains spoilers, then sorry… All I can do is say that it's a spoiler.**

 **Shoutout to Wolfblade84, you're help is greatly appreciated, without you this story wouldn't even be HALF this good. You're an amazing Beta.**

 **This story is rated M for the following reasons: Violence, death, bloodshed, severed limbs, eventual GRAPHIC lemons, drug use, torture, self-harming and foul language. If any of this offends you, then I'm afraid this may not be the best story for you. But amidst all this, there are many hidden jewels that need to be found…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon… I am sorry if any of you thought I did…**

 **Edited: OK I've changed some things in this chapter, basically fixed some issues and made some minor changes to the basic plot. The characters WILL be adults in chapter 6, but don't just skip ahead to that chapter 'cause you'll miss a lot of important plot details – 3/5/16**

* * *

The sun shines in all its dazzling glory, the gentle summer breeze flows through the crisp, clean streets of Pallet town. The heat from the scorching ball of fire reminds those exposed to its warming glow, that summer has reached its peak.

The small, old fashioned town of Pallet resides in the Kanto region, home to the famous Professor Oak. The people of Pallet are just as old fashioned as the town they call home, electing to keep the traditional market running in place of any shopping centres or malls. Many people can earn more on their stall in a day, than they could after a week in employment.

 **(A/N I will be referring to Professors in this story as P.** _ **Insert name here**_ **)**

During the long summer months many parents send their children to P. Oak's Summer Camp, this allows their children to make new friends, learn more about Pokémon and just have fun during the heat filled weeks of summer. To keep the children entertained, as well as educate them, they are pitted against each other in a series of activities. Each one is different and has different rules, some require the children to work together, and others have them directly pitted against each other in a race to win.

The Pokémon league funds these events every year; this allows P. Oak to offer it free to the citizens of Pallet. In exchange for the funding he receives, P. Oak teaches the children about Pokémon training and battling, every year he finds that not every child wants to become a trainer. To some the concept of braving the wilds of the world, armed with nothing but your wits and your own Pokémon, facing off against a wide variety of opponents, catching Pokémon and taking them from their homes, is somewhat frightening. If nothing else, this does generate popularity for the sport and in doing so generate revenue for the league.

The generosity of the league doesn't end with funding though; they also provide one lucky camper with a special prize of their choice, a starter Pokémon specifically, from anywhere in the world. This is a prize that is highly sought after, not just for getting a rare Pokémon for free, but for the opportunity to gain a lifelong friend who will always stand by your side.

To decide who will receive this highly sought after prize; the children earn points for winning activities or for acts of good sportsmanship or extreme kindness. Points are deducted for aggressive behaviour against other campers or members of staff, this not only prevents fights, it encourages the young minds to learn kind behaviour towards each other. There are some exceptions however, if a child is _extremely_ provoked, then the circumstances may allow for a warning in place of lost points.

The camp grounds themselves are on the edge of Pallet, surrounded by a thick lush forest, teeming with growth and wild Pokémon. Several old fashioned log cabins shelter the sleeping souls at night, the ones in which the children sleep are quite small, only having two rooms to speak of, a bedroom and a bathroom. Each one has three beds in it, allocating each one with up to three campers.

There are also a pair of large cabins in which the staff spend their nights, one for the men and a second for the women. A small nurse's cabin takes care of any ailments that arise. A rather large mess hall serves as the source of food for everyone here; breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served here. Finally there is the largest cabin, the assembly chamber; its walls are filled with large windows to allow natural light to flood in. P. Oak makes his announcements here; the scores are kept here as well, on a large white board that has the name of every camper along with their total score. All of these buildings are old, having been here since P. Oak was a boy, but the Pokémon league has spared no expense in refurbishing them to make them safe and liveable again.

* * *

P. Oak himself is an older man, but is in surprisingly good condition for it, you'd never guess he's in his sixties by looking at him. His face is relatively free from wrinkles, with the exception of a line here and there. His skin is quite tanned for his age, although seeing as he spends a lot of time outside in the field it makes sense. His eyes are a soft brown, giving way to his kind nature. His hair is what gives away his age bracket; it was once as brown as his eyes, but now has turned silver grey with time.

He wears clothes that reflect his true age, a plain and simple red polo shirt with a neatly folded collar. Said shirt is always neatly tucked into his plain tan chinos, neatly pressed and looking smart. His white lab coat always covers his shoulders and shields his body from the cold. A pair of perfectly polished dark brown loafers covers his feet and ties his outfit together.

He is a Pokémon researcher, a man who studies Pokémon and tries to discover the secrets they hold. He specifically studies the relationship between humans and Pokémon, while everyone knows that the two can get along together, as they do every day, he wants to unravel the mysteries of the bond between them. Just one of the questions he seeks an answer to, is why do Pokémon choose to obey humans, when they are clearly the superior species? While humans have greater intelligence, at least in terms of being able to advance technologically, Pokémon have powers humans will never have… So why do they obey a species that is weaker than they are?

Such questions are the driving force behind his work, the reason for him to get up in the morning, and his motivation behind supplying new trainers with starter Pokémon throughout Kanto.

But such questions will have to wait for now, right now his current focus must be the safety and wellbeing of the children who have been entrusted to his care. But if he manages to get a few minor questions answered in doing so, well that's a happy coincidence.

Today he stands at his podium inside the assembly chamber, waiting for the children to assemble for the morning announcements. Right now he is alone; the hall is silent and devoid of life, with the exceptions of himself and his own breathing. He's taking the rare moment of silence to reflect on the request he was given by the league, they want to know who he thinks has the most potential out of this year's group, to become skilled Pokémon trainers. While there can only be one winner, there might be other ways to encourage the growth of the rest of them.

For example a scholarship to the Pokémon Technical Institute in Kalos could easily make all the difference for one of them. If journeying across the land isn't right for them, then perhaps studying might be. No matter the path they take, so long as they end up becoming something to draw people into the league, then the investment will be worth it.

To P. Oak the answer is to this question is obvious. Out of the twenty one children who have attended this year, five of them clearly stand out to him, while each of them is different and their strengths lie in different areas, they each have that special something in them that makes them shine out from the group.

While he doesn't support the reasons for the league's aid, he welcomes the financial support to allow children to achieve their dreams. In a place like this, it's rare for a family to be able to provide such financial aid themselves, so any help is welcome.

With a smile on his lips, he contemplates the e-mail he will be sending the league's representative this afternoon. "Each of them has that something special about them, that something that separates them from the others… I know one of them will win the prize this year, the question is, which one?" He thought.

The first and most obvious to the professor is Serena Yvonne. While she is a very shy girl, who dislikes speaking to those she doesn't know, he has noticed a distinctive streak of kindness in her. He has noticed that while she struggles to bond with other children, she is able to form close bonds with the Pokémon she's played with while she's been here. It would seem that her shyness only extends to other people, not to Pokémon.

She has thick honey blonde hair; it ends in slight curls that brush against her shoulders. Her eyes are deep sapphire blue; many of the other children have asked her why she has precious stones where her eyes should be, while some would see this as a compliment, to the shy girl it's just another group of strangers to scare her. Her sensitive skin is very fair, fairer than a young girl's should be at this time of year; she clearly hasn't spent a lot of time in the sun this summer.

The strangest thing about her by far, is her scent. For some reason she always carries a very strong scent of honey around with her, even when she goes without the sticky sweet treat, the scent remains with her just as strong as ever. The strange phenomenon has P. Oak baffled, never in all his years has he encountered such a thing.

During these hot summer months, she wears a pink summer dress to help keep cool. A red band runs around the waist, allowing the dress to cling to her and retain some heat when necessary. She has taken to wearing a straw sun hat, to keep the sun's harsh rays from reaching her eyes, as well as to hide her face from others. To help beat the heat, she has taken to wearing pink flip-flops, she decorated the soles of which with a red heart.

In P. Oak's opinion, Serena would benefit most from a Pokémon of her own, as she would be able to bond with said Pokémon and stay with them. Having a close friend to call her own would do wonders for her confidence, it may even cause her to lose her shyness and come out of her shell a little.

Next on his list is his own grandson, Blue Oak. The fact that they are related has nothing to do with his being on this list, the fact remains that while Blue is a very arrogant child, he has inherited his Dad's battling skills. His Dad is Gary Oak, member of the Kanto Elite four, who rose to his position at a young age. He believes that as the men in his family have grown to become successful, he is superior to his peers.

Out of all of the children here, Blue is one of the best at battling, there are only two others who have ever beaten him, but they are not the subject of this discussion. When he isn't battling or trying to put down his peers, he can often be found with his nose in a book. He tries to learn as much as he can about as many Pokémon as he can, in an attempt to extend his superiority over his peers.

He has long dark brown hair, which is spiked out towards the front. His eyes are a deep chocolate brown, they're not quite as dark as his hair; they are full of confidence as well as a kindling of arrogance. His skin has felt the touch of the sun's rays, tanning it lightly, but not as well as it would someone who spends a lot of time in the light.

He typically wears a black t-shirt, along with a bright green jacket that has a few pockets on the front and sides. He often wears baggy purple cargo pants, which hang down slightly. Black Nike sneakers complete his outfit.

Blue is a unique case, while most children would benefit from having their own Pokémon the most, it seems Blue would benefit the most from going on a journey of his own. He spends a lot of time studying on his own, if he were to continue doing so while exploring the world; he would become a true force to be reckoned with. But of course for that to happen, he'd need a Pokémon of his own.

The third on P. Oak's list, Yellow Verde. She is a very unique girl, she seems to dislike speaking to others, both human and Pokémon alike. As a result of this dislike, she can often be found on her own in the comfort of solitude and silence. It didn't take him long to notice that she has a deep resentment of the forest and nature in general, whenever the activities require them to venture into the forest, she doesn't take well to it.

It would seem that young Yellow is a girl who was born to be in the city, she has often said she'd love to live in a big city and enjoy all the sights, sounds and scents of such a place. Such an attitude has sparked a few arguments between her and other children, one in particular. While he has tried to calm things between them, he has failed every time; it seems that Yellow just isn't meant to get along with everyone here.

She has long black hair, which she keeps tied off in pigtails. She often hides this from others though, as the hoodie she wears often covers her hair. Her eyes are auburn brown, unlike her personality; her eyes are very beautiful and radiate innocence. Her skin is quite fair, fairer than Serena's, as she spends as little time as possible outdoors.

She often wears her favourite hoodie, designed after a Pikachu; the hood has the face of the Electric type along with its ears, the back of it has the brown stripes of the rodent Pokémon. In an attempt to make herself resemble her Pokémon of choice, she also wears yellow shorts that reach her knees. As she was unable to find anything Pikachu related for her feet, she has opted to wear closed toe sandals. Call it a hunch, but he is under the impression that Pikachu is her favourite Pokémon.

Yellow is a definite case for the Pokémon Technical Institute in Kalos, her personality wouldn't allow her to flower in a journey of her own. She would do best by having a Pokémon of her own, and then spending her time studying in the peaceful solitude of a study hall.

The next child on this list is a rather spirited girl; she just might be the most… Eccentric, child here this year. Lily Ketchum, a very energetic and excitable girl, she has proven to have near limitless energy and stamina. She always manages to make whatever she's doing fun, not just for herself but for those around her, it is for this reason that she has become very popular here.

Something that caught his eye amidst all her qualities is that she has no fear of the forest or the Pokémon inside it, whatsoever. Most children her age hold at least a sliver of fear for the growth ridden home to nature, but she doesn't fear it in the slightest, she actually dives into it whenever she can. She seems to be at her happiest, whenever she is surrounded by nature and Pokémon.

Her love of nature has been the cause of the tension and friction between her and Yellow, the two of them come close to feeling true hatred for each other, such a shame.

Another thing that is interesting about Lily, is that despite her small stature and rather slim build, she has proved to be physically stronger and faster than most of the other children here, in some cases she has proved stronger than some of the adults here. It's baffling, how could her still developing muscles produce more force than that of an adult?

This is just one of the questions surrounding the young Ketchum girl, there are many more, such as her ability to navigate her way through any part of the forest to her destination, regardless of where it is and whether or not she has been there before.

The only conclusion that makes any sense is that she is simply a child of nature, born and bred to be wild.

Her hair is very light blonde, she keeps it very short like a boy's, according to her Mom, since she's been old enough to walk and use her hands properly, she's gotten hold of some scissors and given herself haircuts to keep her hair in this state. Her skin is very fair, especially for a child who spends as many waking hours as possible outside and in the neighbouring forest. Her eyes are very beautiful, emerald green, identical to her Mom's. These eyes run in the family, all their daughters are born with these precious stones for eyes.

Despite being a girl and her Mom's many attempts, young Lily hasn't ever worn a dress for more than an hour since she was a baby. Her Mom has tried many times to get her to act more lady like, but Lily flat out refuses to, going as far as to burn any dresses she is given. Her Mom often complains that she has two sons instead of a daughter.

In place of the traditional feminine dress, Lily prefers to dress like a boy, most likely to annoy her Mom even further. She wears black three quarter length shorts, which keep her warm in coolness of the forest shadows, but don't restrict her movements when she needs to be fast. She also wears a pink hoodie with a Pokéball design on the back; her choice of clothes often causes confusion amidst her peers, why would she wear clothes that keep her warm _and_ cool? It's just one of the many questions that surround her. Normally the young girl avoids wearing shoes, as they prevent her from feeling the earth beneath her feet and make gripping onto trees that much harder. But camp rules state that shoes must be worn when campers are not in their personal cabins, so she has taken to wearing a pair of open toe sandals.

If there was ever a case for a child being given a Pokémon and being sent out into the world, then Lily Ketchum is defiantly the perfect fit for the role. She's at her best when she's running free through nature, if she were to have a Pokémon with her, then there would be no telling how much she would grow.

The last one on this list, the enigma that is known as Red Ketchum. Like his twin sister Lily, he too has many questions surrounding him. The question that P. Oak wants answered the most though is how can such a young and frail child possibly be the fastest and strongest of all the children here?

His muscles aren't any more developed than his sister, yet he is both faster and stronger than she is, he has proved this on a number of occasions. It's like he has access to a bottomless well of strength, speed, energy and stamina, which allows him to best anyone he faces off against, in these terms anyway.

It would seem that love of nature and Pokémon runs in both the Ketchum's veins, he also spends most of his free time exploring the depths of the forest, usually with his sister. When the two of them aren't frolicking in the forest, they're fighting with each other, despite his superior strength Red does not always beat his sister, she wins her fair share of their squabbles.

Out of the many things about him that has caught P. Oak's eye, one thing really stands out. During the many practise battles that have been held this year, Red has displayed above average aggression and skill. While he has lost his fair share of battles, he has displayed a raw talent for the sport; he could very well have what it takes to become a professional trainer one day.

Another interesting fact P. Oak has noticed that the twins seem reluctant to separate from each other; neither of them seems to want to be apart from the other. It's like they're joined at the hip and can't physically be apart from the other. That being said, they will separate for the sake of a competition, but they're quick to regain their lost sibling.

While Red isn't as popular as his sister, he certainly hasn't clashed with any other children here. That is with the exception of Blue, the two of them don't get along, having been rivals since they were babies, no one is quite sure how babies can be rivals, but somehow these two have found a way.

His hair is Auburn brown, its wild and messy; it looks as though a comb has never passed through it. His eyes are rather strange, when looked into a strange feeling envelops you. A strange sense of something buried deep inside of him, it's as though he is hiding something from those around him. The strangeness doesn't end there though, when you gaze into those electric blue orbs, there is an undeniable sense of power surging through him.

Other than the overall strangeness about his eyes, they are in fact a rare colour in men, according to his Mom; he gets them from his Dad.

He wears a black tank top, but it's rarely seen since his jacket hides it from sight. He always wears his signature red, white and black jacket; the only time he doesn't wear it is when he's sleeping or bathing. The main body of the jacket is red, while the shoulders are a powerful black, the inside of the collar is somehow still white, finally there is a white strip down either side of the zipper. He typically wears a pair of dark blue cargo pants; he normally hides his snacks in the pockets so Lily can't steal them from him. Last but not least, for the same reasons as his sister, he normally chooses not to wear anything on his feet. However, seeing as it's a rule here, he's wearing red and black sneakers.

Once again, like his sister, Red is a prime candidate for receiving a Pokémon of his own and exploring the world around him in a journey.

The one thing all of these candidates have in common is that they are all seven years old, there's only a few months difference between them.

* * *

P. Oak's thoughts continue to flow, despite the sound of children clambering into the hall before him. "I am pleased that I don't have to decide which of them gets a Pokémon, to deny such promising young children the chance to grow so well… It's a shame only one of them can… Wait a moment, who says only _one_ of them can have a Pokémon?" He thought with a smile.

As he ponders his thoughts, the children take their seats in front of the podium and him. There are four rows of five shiny metal folding chairs, what they lack in comfort they make up for in easy storage, an extra chair has been brought in to accommodate for the odd number of children here.

The Ketchum twins take their seats at the front row, for some reason Blue takes the free seat next to Red, most likely so he can irritate him further. Yellow has chosen to take a seat a little further back; she's angry that Lily has been doing better than her so far. The shy Serena has taken the odd seat for her own and pulled it away from the others, letting her listen to the announcement without having to sit next to those she doesn't know.

The sound of the children taking their seats finally ends P. Oak's thoughts. The sweet sound plasters a broad smile across his aging face; he will never get tired of hearing happy children. "I hope you are all ready for the next activity, it requires bravery and cunning, a stubborn streak would definitely help though. You are doing so well this year, the grand prize is still within reach… GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!"

An eruption of cheers from the smiling faces of the campers answers his call, the Ketchum twins jump to their feet and cheer loudest of all, sparking a wave of shouting amidst their peers. The energy and spirit for this next activity is buzzing through the room.

 **Time skip: 1 hour**

This forest must be hundreds of years old, how else could thick trees be growing out so freely? The ground is covered by a thick layer of leafy plants and moss, concealing the thick tree roots that are bursting from the earth, one wrong step and you'll fall face first into the growth ridden forest floor. Some plants have managed to find enough light in this dark place to grow out from the dirt; these strong plants have blossomed into strong bushes. Some of them have small buds of flowers growing from them; others have thistles and thorns poking out, ready to scratch anything that dares to come too close to them. There are also some that have bountiful berries growing from them, tempting passers-by to eat them and carry on their seeds.

Above the bountiful but dangerous bushes, mighty trees stand strong, with trunks thicker than any normal child is wide. These titans of the forest climb towards the sky above, dominating the only source of light this place has and blocking it from the floor. Thick branches protrude from the trunks, sprouting out countless leafs, each one searching out the light they crave. Some of the trees are imitating the bushes, or perhaps the bushes are imitating the trees. Regardless, ripe berries hang from the branches, practically begging to be plucked from their home and devoured. Thick moss has grown across the trunks of these trees, climbing its way towards the light, the one thing all plant life craves and competes for.

The sweet young flower, who is named Serena, has successfully gotten herself, as well as her hat, completely lost amidst this endless sea of green plant life. Before she ever set foot in this place, her fear was weighing down her petite feet. How could they have sent them in here? How could they have sent innocent children into the forest alone?

Today's activity is easily the most frightening, at least for this young girl. They've all been sent into this obviously untamed, jungle like forest to search for a special Pokémon, holding a green sash. They weren't even told what the Pokémon is; it could be anything at all.

While there are supposed to be counsellors around the forest to help should the need arise, Serena hasn't seen a single human since she first came in here. The moment she set foot here, she was swallowed by the forest, cutting her off from everything she's seen or known. She's completely alone here.

At first she wanted to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could push herself past her fears and limitations, but now that she's here all she wants is to go back out again. What good is proving she can do something if she gets eaten by a wild Pokémon?

With her delicate hands pressed against her tightening chest, she looks around at her surroundings, hoping for a trace of humanity that can help her. "Why does everything have to look the same? How am I supposed to get out of here?" She asked herself with fear in her voice.

For the briefest of moments, sickly dark regret destroys her fear, leaving her nothing but a hollow empty shell, stumbling forwards through this valley of danger. "Agh!" She cried out. Her arms flail around through the air, searching desperately for something, anything, to break her stumble.

She collides with a thick tree trunk, the surface of which is coated in thick green moss. She clutches the titan desperately with both hands, holding on for dear life, as if it is a safety line in an ocean filled with blood drunken Sharpedo. The pressure of her tiny body against the soft moss forces the fluids it retained from their home, staining her dress deep green within seconds. "Stupid forest" She murmured under her breath. A concealed tree root was the cause of her stumble, hidden by the plants that seek precious light above, there was no way she could have seen it coming.

Tears quickly burn in her eyes, threatening to moisten her cheeks, the moment of regret has faded and her fear has returned, even stronger than before. "I don't care…. I don't care about finding any Pokémon… I just wanna go home" She whimpered to herself. "Mama… Daddy… I need help, please… I wanna go home"

She's completely alone in forest, she hasn't got the slightest clue how to get out, she hasn't seen another person since she first set foot here, she's absolutely terrified and to top it all off, her favourite dress has been ruined… Can this day _possibly_ get any worse?

As if to say, of course things can get worse I'll show you how, the bushes to her left begin to shake and rustle with life. They're far too dense to see just what is inside them, veiling the opposing creature or creatures in mystery. As is often the case with humanity, the young girl's fear of the unknown drives her to abandon the security of the tree trunk, and back away towards the bushes behind her. "W-w-who's… W-who's there?" She babbled in fear.

The deceit of the forest doesn't end with the tree roots though, there are far more dangerous things hidden in this place, things that won't show mercy to anyone, even a scared little girl.

The bushes before her part, as a blur of blue leaps for freedom from the greenery. _"HELP! PSYCHO KID! HE'S AFTER ME!"_ The blur cried out as it jumped towards her.

Her fear spikes out through her fragile body, causes her to jump out of her skin as she cries out in fear. "AGH!" She quickly falls backwards, towards the bushes behind her and the threat they contain, a large rock with a large spike poking out, the surface of which is coated in the dried blood of Pokémon. With a stroke of luck, she falls past the rock and into the bushes, even if she had collided with the offending object, she'd be too distracted by the fall to notice.

The blur of blue watches her with curiosity as she falls to the earth. _"What's wrong with you?"_ It asked with genuine concern. Ignoring the minor pain that has wracked her body, she lifts her head up and steals a glance of the one who scared her so badly. It's a small blue tadpole like Pokémon; its belly is a gentle white with a black spiral that fills it up. A pair of sweet and innocent eyes meets her own; this Pokémon is clearly a young Poliwag, a relatively peaceful Pokémon that isn't aggressive unless provoked.

A green sash hangs around Poliwag's body, exactly as P. Oak described it would be, this is the Pokémon she and all the other campers are supposed to be hunting for. A fresh wave of tears quickly well up in her eyes, humiliation quickly joins her reformed fear, of all things to scare her, why a harmless Poliwag? Now everyone will make fun of her for being a coward.

Poliwag watches her curiously for a moment, who is this girl? Is she one of the children P. Oak said would be looking for him? Why does she look so scared? Regardless of these questions, there is another kid whose close on his tail, he can't stand around here waiting for him to get closer.

" _I'd get out of here if I were you, get that nasty cut looked at"_ He said as he hopped away into the bushes, leaving nothing behind but a few squished plants.

With tears flowing freely from her eyes, she watches as the Poliwag she is supposed to be hunting hops away from her, taking with him any chance of rescue from this strange and frightening place. Pain quickly erases him from her memories, distracting her attention towards her right leg. Her eyes shrink in their sockets upon the sight before her.

A deep crimson fluid is flowing down from the side of her right leg, pouring from a fresh deep wound. The blood that should be working to keeping her alive is escaping from her and bathing the plants below in its warmth. She quickly sees just how bad the wound is, a deep three inch long gash runs down the side of her small leg, providing the escape the blood seeks. Beside her, the same rock that was hidden by the plants runs red with the fresh blood of young flesh.

A fresh wave of tears crawl down her cheeks, her reddening eyes burn from shedding so many tears as they swell. "I didn't even wanna come to this stupid camp… I just want my Mama" She quietly cried. "Someone… Anyone… Please help me"

An answer to her call comes from the bushes that brought her further fear; they rustle far stronger than they did when the innocent Poliwag came through, what could be coming through this time? Her tears continue to roll down her cheeks, but her eyes focus on the source of the sound. What could it be? Another Pokémon? What if it's one more dangerous than a Poliwag? With a wound like this, she can't even stand let alone run from it. "Please… Don't hurt me" She whimpered quietly. "Don't hurt me"

The rustling grows stronger than before, before quickly parting to reveal the concerned face of a young boy. He looks to be Serena's age, with wild and messy brown hair that has a few leafs caught in its coils. His eyes instantly draw her attention, their electric blue haze lock onto her sapphire blue orbs, trading stares of fear and concern between each other.

His first instinct is to ask if someone is there, the question is caught by his tongue before it ever leaves his mouth. He can clearly see a scared little girl here, so asking such a question would serve no purpose.

He slowly takes a couple steps out of the thick bush, his eyes remain firmly locked onto the most beautiful gems his eyes have ever had the pleasure of gazing into. A surge of blood rushes into both of their cheeks, warming their flesh to burn brightly in the darkness of the forest. Their hearts flutter in their chests, sending a wave of uneasiness through both of these young children.

"I won't hurt you" He said gently, partly because of the strange feeling flowing through him, but mostly due to the undeniable sense of fear flowing from this girl. Regardless of whether or not humans can smell fear, they can undoubtedly feel and see it. He gently takes a step forwards, leaving the bushes completely and making his way closer to this unfamiliar face. "Is something wrong? I can help you if you need it"

Her tears stop flowing from her swollen eyes, but cling to her blushing cheeks. All negative thoughts are pushed from the depths of her mind, leaving her with only strange and confusing thoughts. What is the feeling in her face? It feels so warm, so comforting… Is she blushing? Is he blushing back at her?

Her eyes quickly absorb his face, devouring his features and learning them in the process. A vague feeling of familiarity comes with this face, she's seen him before. While she doesn't have a name to go with this familiar face, she doesn't feel like he's a stranger, her normal fear of strangers hasn't surfaced. There is something about his eyes, something that has her enthralled, forcing her to maintain this gaze.

Despite him moving closer to her, her fear doesn't get any stronger, it's actually getting weaker. There's something about him, something that tells her he can be trusted, something that doesn't come easy to a frightened little girl. Regardless of this strange feeling, she needs a name to put to this rather cute face, she speaks before she even forms the question in her mind.

"Who… Who are you?" Her voice barely above a whisper, this time her fear has faded from her voice, allowing her true voice to come through.

Her soft and sweet voice against his ears captivates his attention, driving his heart to beat harder and faster in his small chest. Ignoring this foreign feeling flowing through him, he allows a kind smile to take up residence on his face, forcing the blush to fade from him. "Redmud, but my friends call me Red. What's yours?"

"Umm… S-Serena, my name's Serena" As she speaks, he walks up to her side and sits down on the ground beside her, offering her his smile all the while.

"Serena, I like that name, it's cute" His kind words stir a light blush across her cheeks again, though not as strong as it was before. This goes completely unnoticed by the boy; his attention is firmly focused on the large gash in her leg and the blood flowing from it. "That's a nasty wound… I bet it hurts really bad"

She looks down at the gash in her tiny leg, with the strange sensations flowing through her, she'd genuinely forgotten about her wound, barely even noticing the pain from it. "Y-yeah… It really hurts. Redmud, I… I need help"

"Hey, I told you my friends call me Red" He said with an innocent smile and a playful tone. "How'd you get a nasty cut like this anyway?"

Her mind is pulled from the pain once again; his kind words have yet again stolen it from her. Did he just tell her to call him Red? He said his friends call him Red, does that mean he thinks she's his friend now? The thought sends confusion through her mind, the two of them only just met, and it wasn't even the best of circumstances, how could he think to call her his friend already?

Having never had a real friend before, the concept of trusting someone so soon is foreign to her and makes her uneasy. Yet, that's exactly what she's doing… Before they even said a single word to each other, she knew she could trust him, a complete stranger. Since then he hasn't done anything to give her a reason not to trust him, maybe she has finally found someone… Someone to call friend, a real friend of her very own.

This thought gives birth to a smile, a simple smile. Such a normal gesture doesn't mean much to most, but to her it inspires a genuine feeling of happiness. Something she hasn't felt around another person since before she first came here.

* * *

After hearing her explanation for how this happened to her, Red continues to offer her a kind smile and a sympathetic ear. He never once suppressed a laugh, a snicker or a smirk; he just sat there, listening to her patiently.

Why would he laugh? His new friend is obviously hurt and in need of help, laughing about something like that is cruel. While he's certainly no saint, he'd never kick anyone while they're down. He just waits for a moment, waiting to see if there is anything else to her story. When she doesn't say anything else, he thinks carefully about how to help her best.

Weighing his options in his mind, he looks around carefully, searching for signs of life amidst this sea of a forest. Seeing no one, he returns his focus back to his options. He could try to find someone who could help, but then he'd have to leave her here alone until he can find them. That's the last thing he wants to do, she's scared enough as it is, the last thing he wants to do is make her feel worse. Calling out for help would do little good, that'd just attract unwanted attention from wild Pokémon. While most are indeed harmless in these woods, there is always the risk of attracting a more aggressive alpha, who would think nothing of killing anything foreign in its territory. Carrying her back certainly isn't a viable option, with a wound like this she'll bleed out too quickly, she might even die. No. It's simply too great a risk.

That leaves him with just the one option; he'll have to do treat her wound himself, then take her back to camp so the nurse can give her the attention she needs. "Well… If you promise not to tell anyone, then I can help make it better"

His offer catches her attention, he can make it better? How? At best she thought he might be able to find someone to help her, but he's just offered to treat it for her himself. She must have misunderstood him, but still her curiosity has been ignited. "How can you make it better? Look at it, it's really bad"

Both of them turn their attention towards her leg, he tilts his head curiously, while she looks on in horror. The blood is still flowing freely from the wound; it hasn't started to scab over yet. The skin surrounding it is tightening and turning a deep shade of red, this combination has turned the surrounding flesh shiny. A clear fluid is slowly pooling amidst the blood.

While she looks on in horror at the gash, he simply looks on with a keen eye. Making mental notes about the wound and remedies that could counteract the symptoms, or at least buy her a little time until she can get some proper help. "This is bad, there's too much swelling for a simple cut. The redness isn't good either, something is irritating it" He thought. "Shiny. That's even worse. The clear shit's here, this wound's infected. Hmm… Pecha berries will weaken the infection; Oran's will dull the pain"

"See? I told you it was bad" She whimpered with a fresh wave of tears in her eyes. She's never learned about wounds, but she knows this one's bad, really bad.

"Yeah, it's bad all right… I'll need some berries. Hmm… Infection's in the early stages already, it's gotta be really aggressive to have gotten this strong this quick. Hmm… I'd say two berries will be enough, don't want to use too much, that'll be enough to clean the wound and start fighting the infection. An Oran will cut the pain." He mumbled to himself.

He quickly stands up and looks around the forest, seeking out the necessary fruits. "I'll be back in a moment, I gotta find some stuff" With that he turns towards the bushes and sets off in his search.

"You're coming back right?" She called out to him. He gives her a reassuring look over his shoulder and then disappears into the bushes from whence he came.

Twenty minutes pass and apart from a couple of Bug Pokémon, Serena hasn't seen any signs of life. While she waits, she's had time to contemplate the strange sensation she had from earlier. It's a strange feeling, a mixture of nervousness, fear and happiness all at once. The most confusing part of it is that she wants to be near him, but at the same time she's scared to be around him. What's going on with her?

Deciding not to contemplate the strange feeling anymore, she turns her attention to her immediate problem, the massive gash in her leg.

The wound has swollen even more since he left, now it looks like there's a small egg trapped under her flesh. Her skin looks like it's about to burst at any moment. The strange clear fluid has filled her wound now, whatever it is, it doesn't look good, she's never seen this stuff before. On the up side, the bleeding has finally stopped.

What has her really worried though is that the pain has changed. The stabbing sensation has certainly gotten stronger, but that's not what has her so worried. Her leg feels like its throbbing around the wound, like it's trying to pull something up and into the wound.

She turns away from the cut, looking at it is only making hurt more now. All she can do now is wait, hope and pray someone finds her and gives her the help she needs. Her thoughts turn to Red once again, he said he needed to find something, just what could he be looking for?

Again she pushes these thoughts from her mind, there's nothing she can do now but wait for him to come back.

She doesn't have to wait too long though, after a few moments Red returns through the same bushes he both came and left through. This time though he's carrying some fruit and what looks like a rock in his arms. Relief floods through her fragile body, bringing with it the strange feelings in her chest again.

In his arms he carries an Oran berry, a blue oval shaped fruit known to restore strength and energy to those who eat them. A couple of pink Pecha berries are also amidst his grasp, resembling small hearts against his chest, they help fight off poison and infection in the blood stream. Finally there is a flat-ish rock with a sharp looking edge, nor unlike the one that cut her.

"Sorry that took so long, the rock was really dirty" He said with a kind smile. He doesn't waste a second, quickly taking his previous seat and setting on with his work. "You OK?"

She gives him a cold glare and gestures towards her leg. He sweatdrops nervously. "Right… You can't move and you're in pain… Crap, I really am a moron" He said with a nervous smile.

Her cold glare gives way to a warm smile, he may not be the smartest kid in the world, but at least he's trying. Taking note of what's in his arms, a question forms in her mind. "What's that stuff for?"

He gives her wound a quick look over, taking note of how much worse it's gotten since he left. "The Pecha's are for the infection, the juice will clean your cut and the flesh will help fight off the infection. If I chew up the Oran, the mush will dull the wound, that means the pain will away" He then puts his supplies down on the cleanest part of the ground he can find.

She takes a look at the berries in his hands, impressed by his knowledge on berries. "How'd you know that? And what's the rock for?"

Her innocent question freezes him in his tracks; he needs to think about this carefully. How can he answer these questions, without putting her in danger? She's already in danger though, just not as much as she'd be if he told her. No matter what he does she's goanna find out he's not exactly a normal kid and neither is Lily, if he tells her then they won't have to lie to her, that'll make things easier. But she'll be in _a lot_ of danger if she knows this stuff; if he doesn't tell her then he'll have to lie to her, a lot.

All this heavy thinking is starting to give him a headache; he needs to make a decision now. He sighs heavily and looks her in the eye, reflected back at him he sees a kind soul, one that stirs up strange feelings inside of his chest.

She smiles back at him with a light blush on her cheeks, she waits for a moment while he formulates his answer, it must be a something important for him to take so long.

What is worse? Lying to someone every day to protect them, or telling them the truth, knowing that it'll put them in a lot of danger? Such a question's answer varies; depending on who asks it, but to Red the answer is obvious. Lies are almost never justified, the only time it is OK to tell a lie, is to spare someone harm or their feelings, but not about something like this.

"I can only tell you, if you promise not to tell anyone else OK? It's really important that you don't tell anyone" His tone turns serious, as does his face.

Taken aback by this sudden change in him, she just stares at him silently for a moment. "This must be serious, I guess I can keep it a secret" She thought. "OK then, I promise not to tell anyone… You goanna answer me now?"

He takes a deep breath; now she has promised to keep this knowledge to herself, he has to think of a way to say it. After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he speaks once again.

"It's hard to explain Serena, and you never know who might be listening around here… For now all I can say is, both me and my sister have a friend, a _very_ special friend… He teaches us special things. OK?"

His answer is vague, out of all the possible answers he could have given her; this is something she never thought could have happened. The look in his eye tells her that he's not going to explain anymore, not now anyway, all she can do is accept it with a heavy sigh.

Not a moment after he finishes his awkward explanation, he picks up the Pecha's and sets to work, holding it over the wound and gently squeezing it. "This may sting a little" He said with a kind smile.

As he squeezes the ripe fruit, a surprising amount of bright pink juice flows through the fresh cracks in the skin. The pink fluid floods down into the infected wound, instantly burning her flesh raw.

"OOUUCH!" She cried out in surprise. "I thought you said it would hurt a _little_ , not a lot" She said with an angry pout, aimed directly at the only other person here.

He smiles nervously at her, as a heavy sweatdrop crawls down the back of his head. "Well… If I said it'd hurt a lot, would you have let me clean it?" She narrows her eyes at him angrily, but doesn't offer any response. He picks up the second berry and holds it in the same hand as the last. "One more, then I can take the pain away OK?"

She continues to pout with narrowed eyes, despite her quickly fading pang of anger. With a nod of her head, she gives him the green light to carry on treating her wound.

An idea crops into his mind, a distraction might help her handle the pain. He holds the berry over her wound again and lightly squeezes. "Hey Serena, after camp's over why don't you come over to my house? My Grampa protects us there, so it's perfectly safe, me and my sister can explain everything to you there… If you want to know"

Just as before, the juice floods down into her wound and burns her flesh. But she barely even notices its burning sting; her attention is firmly fixed on the kind offer he just gave her.

Her cheeks burn brightly at this unexpected offer, never in all her short life has she been to a boy's house before. The only times she's ever visited someone else's home has been with either of her parents, sometimes both. Despite her growing blush and nervousness, she finds herself nodding away with a smile.

"Yeah… I'd really like that, thanks Red" Her voice turning timid once again, for reasons that continue to confuse her. Her heart begins fluttering in her tiny chest once again, simply at the thought of spending more time with him, her friend.

As the last dregs of juice are squeezed from the crushed pulp of the berries, he offers their remains to her with a kind smile. "Cool, we just need to get you fixed up then. If you eat what's left you'll get the most benefit from them"

She takes what's left from him without a second thought, and eagerly begins to chew them up. "I really didn't want to come here, Mama made me; Daddy said it'd make me more confident… Camp's full of mean people, this forest has nasty plants and mean rocks!... But I'm really pleased I'm here now, 'cause I've met you Red" She thought as she swallowed the remains of the berries. "I guess I'll be meeting your sister soon too, once we get out of here"

As she does her part and thinks her thoughts, he begins the next step. Chewing up the Oran until it's a fine mush, being careful not to swallow any of the precious food. "OK Red, the Pecha's have cleaned the wound off and will start to fight the infection, but on their own they won't be enough. You just need to remember your training, don't think you can do this, _know you will_ " He thought.

He carefully applies the mush to her wound, ensuring all of the precious salve plays some part in easing her pain and not falling to the floor. She watches him curiously, while trying to ignore the obvious lack of hygiene with such a salve. The pain she was expecting never comes, he's putting his fingers right into the wound and is rubbing the mush in, but there's no pain, none whatsoever. Within seconds, she realises that _all_ the pain from the wound is gone, not just the pain he should be causing, the salve has already done its job.

"You've done it Red!" She squealed in happiness. "It's all better now" He doesn't share her enthusiasm though; unlike her he knows this is only half the battle.

"No. Not yet. Oran mush only takes the pain away from wounds, it's not better yet, as soon as you stand up it'll all fall out. Without this in the wound the pain will return, maybe even stronger than it was before" He said sadly. "I need to cover the wound, oak sap will hold it all in and will set quickly. It's also a natural anti-biotic; it'll all help fight the infection"

Not one to waste time talking, he picked up the rock and made his way towards a tall oak tree before he even finished speaking.

He quickly begins hacking away at the surface of the tree with the small but sharp rock. While it will undoubtedly take him time, he'll eventually break through the tough outer shell to find the golden fluid flowing within.

* * *

A trickle of clear golden fluid slowly drips down onto Serena's wound, covering the mush and painful flesh in its sticky glory. The cool soft feeling of it against her skin soothes her swollen flesh, bringing with it a cooling sense of relief.

Within moments the entirety of the golden sap has been poured onto her gash, covering it completely and entirely. Red examines his handiwork, ensuring that it is ready for the final step.

Satisfied that the makeshift dressing will hold and is ready, he discards the large leafs which held the sap and holds his hands over the golden mess. "This'll feel strange, but you gotta keep still. I'm just goanna give the berries and sap a boost, then we'll go back to camp and the nurse can take care of it properly"

His eyes shut and his mind begins to focus, blocking out external distractions as he does.

Questions are pouring out of Serena's mind, all somehow linked to the mysterious boy and his extensive knowledge of wounds and remedies. Making a mental note to ask him later, she pushes them out of her mind so she can watch this with eagle eyed interest.

Red's body begins to change before her eyes, visibly tensing up as though he's carrying a heavy weight alone. His blood carrying veins and arteries rise up and press against his skin, as if trying to break free from the confines it has forced on them. Sweat trickles down his forehead and runs down his arms, making his skin glisten in this faint light. His hands freeze in place, as though something is holding them still, guiding them in this pursuit.

His scrawny flesh begins to swell within him, building and bolstering his muscles before her young eyes. In reaction to this change, his skin tightens up, allowing his new muscular build to be seen with ease. The trickle of sweat grows into a gentle flow across his body.

His face fills with frustration, this is taking a massive toll on his body, if this keeps up he'll pass out before he can finish. "Come on Red. You can do this. No. You _will_ do this" He thought.

A dim red glow slowly emerges from the depths of his being, like a flame that flickers in the safety of a lamp. The dim glow bathes the surrounding plant life, feeding it the light it so desperately seeks.

The red hue surrounding him shines brighter, becoming a faint light. This ghostly hue rises up across his body, reaching his head then rising up into the air ever so slightly. This hue vaguely looks like a thin layer of red fire is swimming across him, trying to reach the highest point on his body before leaping up into the air.

"So… Cool" She muttered, as her eyes sparkled in amazement.

The hue surrounding his hands begins to brighten, drawing her attention towards them. Small chunks of the hue are breaking off and are rising into the air, before flickering away, just as stray embers would.

"What… What is this? It's beautiful" She whispered to herself, as the strange feeling in her chest rises up again.

He offers no response to her comments, he can't, its vital that his focus stay firmly focused on the task at hand. Any form of distraction could easily break his focus and make this all for nothing. For now, he must ignore her.

Faint red waves slowly begin to flow from his hands down towards her wound and the natural resources attached to it. The offending items begin to respond to him, glowing bright red themselves.

A faint numbing sensation catches her attention, her leg feels like it's being sat on, to the point where the blood is being cut off. The sensation begins at the wound and rises up to her hip and sinks down to her foot. The waves slowly grow stronger and brighter, causing the hue around the dressing to glow brighter.

The strain on his body is getting worse, his energy levels are dropping through the floor, but he can't give up and surrender, he must carry on. "This'd be so much easier if Lily was here. She can do this stuff much better than me" He thought bitterly. His hands begin to tremble, making the hue surrounding them waver ever so slightly.

It's now painfully obvious that he's struggling with his, but his determination not to fail keeps his internal flame burning, refusing to fail. "Never surrender" He thought.

She watches her wound in amazement, the redness surrounding her gash and the swelling under it are fading away before her eyes. The wound seems to be healing beneath his palms.

Curiosity forces his eyes open a slither, he must know if this effort is paying off or if he's doing it for nothing. He can't be going through this for nothing, the wound must be getting better. A faint smile cracks across his face as he sees the wound heal. A fatal mistake.

Not a moment after this smile comes out of hiding; the hue surrounding him vanishes from his body, taking with it the healing waves from his hands.

"ARGH!" He grunted in pain as the hue vanished from him. His hands part and embed themselves in the earth below, he pants heavily, desperate for breath. His body quickly returns to the way it was before this began, leaving only the sweat trickling down his body. He's clearly exhausted, whatever he just did has certainly drained him.

"Are you OK?" She nervously squeaked, as a wave of guilt overtook her.

"I'm fine thanks… Just a little tired" He said with a reassuring smile. This simple gesture, one that thousands of people do every day, sends her heart into summersaults, forcing a smile of her own to grace her face. "Just… Gimme a minute to rest a little, then we'll go back" He breathed back to her.

She smiles and nods, offering her thanks and telling him to take as much time as he needs.

"You've been so nice to me… You were just a stranger; you found me here, hurt and scared. You could have easily left me and carried on looking for Poliwag… But you didn't. You could have easily left me here and just looked around for someone to help me… But you didn't, you stayed here to help me yourself. You made my leg better by yourself… You did all this for me" She thought.

As these kind thoughts flow through her mind, they stir up a rising blush across her cheeks. Her young but big heart beats harder and faster in her petite chest. "Why am I blushing so much today? Is it just today, or is it 'cause I'm around you?... Why does my heart feel so… Warm?" She thought again.

The answer she seeks comes to her quicker and easier than falling asleep. Her eyes widen and her cheeks burn with fresh blood, the answer is so obvious, how could she have not figured it out sooner?

She has a crush on him.

The golden sap across her leg begins to solidify, giving Red the signal that his work is complete.

"Thanks a lot Red, it doesn't hurt at all anymore" She said with the biggest smile she's worn all day. "But… Why can't I feel my leg?"

Did she just say she can't feel her leg? Panic quickly sets into him; he must have made a mistake. He mentally retraces his steps to see what he could have done wrong. Within moments he facepalms at his own stupidity, the answer is obvious to him now.

"Ah SHIT! The Oran mush. I put it on _before_ I boosted their effects. I made the mush too strong… Now it's not only numbed the wound, but your entire leg. Sorry Serena, I screwed up" He said with a mareepish look of apology on his face.

"Don't be sorry, you tried your best and that's more than anyone else would have done for me… Thank you Red, thanks a lot" She said with a genuine smile across her face. "I can't ever thank you enough"

He weakly returns the smile, still feeling guilty over the simple mistake. His thoughts turn to getting her out of here, if she can't feel her leg then she won't be able to walk… Well that just leaves him with one option then; he'll have to carry her.

"Serena, I don't think you'll be able to stand, do you?" He asked mareepishly.

She hadn't honestly thought about it until now, her thoughts were fixed on fixing her cut, she hadn't even considered standing on it again. She tries to wriggle her toes; she receives nothing in return but a horrible numbness. Red was right, she can't move it at all.

"No… I can't move my leg. How am I goanna get back to camp?" She asked with fear in her voice.

He quickly takes her hand in his own, sending a blush across both of their young faces. "Hey, don't cry… And don't give up either. It's just like Grampa says, no matter how hard things get, no matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how low you get. Never surrender. No matter what"

She smiles at him, making note of the growing blush across his face. "OK then… I won't give up. But how are we going to get back Red? If I can't walk then I can't move" Her voice shaking slightly, but not from fear. He gives her a cheeky smile and lets her hand go.

"I can carry you back… if you don't mind" He said as his face turned beetroot red with embarrassment. "I'm stronger than I look… I can carry you back to camp; it's not that far away" Her face quickly erupts in a full faced beetroot blush, but she nods her head steadily none the less.

He quickly scoops her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style. Her own arms wrap around his neck, steadying herself and taking some of her weight off him. Surprisingly his arms aren't trembling with strain; he seems to be carrying her easily and without issue. He gives her another cheeky grin, as he starts walking back towards the camp grounds.

"I told you I'm stronger than I look. When we get back I'll introduce you to Lily, I warn you though, she's a pain in the ass sometimes" He said to pass the time.

"I've seen you arguing with a blonde haired girl before, is she Lily or another friend?" She asked with a love struck smile.

"Yup that's her; she's probably going to tease us once we see her. So be ready, if she gets too much just tell her to shut the fuck up. It's what I do"

* * *

The clinical scent of the Nurse's cabin makes a nice change to the horrid smells of the forest, at least to the injured Serena. The camp Nurse is examining her wound; her trained and experienced eye has seen many wounds like this before, but this one is strange to her.

She dismantled Red's handiwork within minutes, commenting on how well he made the makeshift field dressing. Once said dressing was removed, the feeling in her leg quickly returned to her, as did the pain. Based on what the Nurse was told about how she obtained this wound, it should be far more swollen and red than it is. If her flesh was cut on a rock covered in blood, then said blood would have entered her own blood stream and caused infection.

In other words it should look the opposite of what it does now, it doesn't make sense.

Serena asked for Red to be allowed to stay with her, seeing no reason why not, the Nurse pulled out a second seat for him. The two of them are sitting next to each other, while the Nurse examines her wound.

"Looks like it's your lucky day young lady, this wound of yours doesn't seem to be infected. It would seem your knight in shining armour here, brought you in just in time" The Nurse said with a kind smile, as the two children erupted in a blush, which they try to hide from the other.

She notes their blushing faces, as she picks up her tub of anti-septic wipes. "I'll give this wound a clean for you, then put some special cream on it, and then just strap it up for you and you'll both be free to go. This might sting a little bit Serena"

Serena winces slightly at the touch of the disinfectant wipes; they sting, but nowhere near as much as the Pecha's did. "Ouch" She playfully whined. "Doesn't hurt as much as Pecha juice does though"

The Nurse giggles slightly under her breath; she quickly finishes cleaning and tosses out the used wipes. "Pecha juice is good in a pinch, but it really does sting. These wipes have a numbing agent in them, easing the pain a little bit"

Red shudders at the sight of the wipes, his eyes widen ever so slightly in fear. His fear of hospitals and associated things betrays him; just him being here is torture for the boy. But it's to help his friend, so it's something he'll put up with, but that doesn't mean he won't make a bolt for the door at the first opportunity.

"Is something wrong Red?" Serena asked sweetly.

He tries to push the thoughts of the dreaded place that has an unhealthy obsession with cleanliness from his mind, it's easier than he thought it could be, at least with Serena by his side. "I'm… I'm fine thanks… I just… Don't like hospitals. They scare me"

The Nurse picks up a small blue tube, with the words Anti-Septic written across it. She squeezes out a small amount of white cream onto the wound, Serena shudders slightly at its touch.

"Oooohh that's cold… Why don't you like hospitals Red? Besides this isn't a hospital, so why's it bother you?"

He nervously smiles at her as he sweatdrops. "Well… Hospitals are really scary places; it's where people go to die. People wearing fancy coats and masks use sharp things to cut you up and pull out your guts" His hands tighten in front of his mouth and begin trembling, his eyes widen as sweat pours down his face. "They put needles in you, then inject you with mind controlling drugs. That's how they turn you into mindless shopping machines… Why'd you think they give them out just before Christmas? It's all a trick to get you to go and buy expensive shit. They steal people's souls from them… Then they steal your blood and drink it, or feed it to you in that terrible food. They keep telling everyone there's a shortage of it so they'll get more… Doctors… They're the worst. They steal your soul with their stethoscopes, then sell them on the black market!"

Both Serena and the Nurse stare at him with freaked out expressions, where in the world did a child get so many horrible ideas about hospitals? Sure kids are usually quite gullible and willing to believe many outlandish things, but this is taking it to the extreme.

"Red, what in the world are you talking about? Why would Doctors steal children's souls?" The Nurse asked comfortingly. "Doctors help people get better when they're sick or hurt"

Red frantically shakes his head and pushes himself back into his chair, apparently just realising that this Nurse is also part of the medical profession and in turn part of the dreaded hospitals. "The Hell they do. They're evil, they steal our souls… You're one of them aren't you? You're trying to make us feel safe so you can steal our souls from us. I won't let you do it. I swear I won't" His voice betrays him, revealing his fear to both of them.

The Nurse slowly shakes her head at his irrational fear, and then carries on with her work. Placing a piece of sterilized cotton over the wound, then wrapping a bandage over it.

"Did Lily tell you this stuff?" Serena asked with a doubting tone. "'Cause it's a load of crap. Doctors don't brainwash anyone and they don't steal people's souls"

He gives her a terrified stare, utterly horrified by her obvious lack of concern for the obvious truth. "Lily's even worse than I am. She'd happily have her leg cut off, if it meant she didn't have to go to a hospital ever again. I'd settle for my arm, anything's better than going to those horrible places"

The Nurse finishes strapping the wound; some basic tape holds it tight and stops it from coming undone. "There we go now, all done. Your leg will be back to normal within a few days, but I'm afraid you're going to have a nasty scar though"

Her words snatch Serena's attention, erasing Red's irrational fear from her mind and memories. Overwhelming fear rises up inside her heart, she's goanna have a scar? No, no she can't have a scar, anything but that. "No, no no no no no no no" She babbled with tears in her eyes. "I can't have a scar, not that. A scar'll make me ugly" Her tears fall freely from her eyes, down her cheeks.

Guilt stabs into the Nurse, she hates seeing children cry. There's little she can do to comfort her, she doesn't know the girl so how can she offer her true comfort? That can only come from a close friend or family member, since she is neither what good can she do?

Serena begins to cry into her hands, shielding her face from those watching her with sympathetic eyes. While the thought of having a scar terrifies her, what really has her upset is the thought that she'll be ugly now. "People will think I'm ugly… I can't have a scar, I just can't" She said between sobs.

Surprisingly, he tenderly takes her hand in his own and gives her a gentle squeeze. She lifts her head from her hands to meet his gaze, complete and utter terror runs through her, what if he doesn't want to be her friend anymore?

"Serena, please don't cry… Just because you have a scar, it doesn't mean you're ugly… Honest it doesn't" His previous fear has vanished from his voice, replaced by genuine concern for his friend.

Her tears continue to fall from her eyes, but the flow is weaker than before. Her fear begins to crack apart; he doesn't think she'll be ugly if she has a scar? "It… It won't?"

He squeezes her hand a little tighter, sending comfort through her young body and crushing her fear inside her. "Of course it won't, a scar will just make you even cuter"

Blood rushes through both of their young faces, making their cheeks burn beetroot red. They suddenly realise that they're holding hands and separate their grasp, while turning their faces away from each other to hide their growing blush. Serena's tears quickly lose their source, ending their marathon down her face.

A broad smile crawls across her face, her heart flutters in her chest and her eyes sparkle in amazement. "He… He thinks I'm cute" She thought.

Unlike his newest friend, Red's heart isn't jumping for joy or fluttering in his chest. Confusion is filling his mind, why did he say that? He didn't mean to say it, it just came out. But why did it come out? He's never told a girl she's cute before, Hell he's never even thought of saying it before, so why did he say it now?

An awkward silence falls across the room, following his comforting words to her. The Nurse tries to end the silence by making herself busy, filling out the paperwork to do with treating an injury like this.

Deciding to end this awkwardness once and for all, Serena wipes away her tears and takes a calming breath. "Red?" She said weakly.

"Yeah?" He weakly responded.

"W-why do you like scars? They defile a person's body… They make you look ugly… Why do you like them?" The young girl carefully chooses her words, to say too much could cause an awkwardness between the two of them, to not say enough would make her asking pointless.

"Umm… Well, they make someone even better… The body is a work of art, things like scars only make it more beautiful, complex and interesting. Behind every scar there is a story, one day you'll see that scar and remember how we met and became friends… So… How can I not love scars?" His voice grows stronger and more confident as he goes on.

She beams at him as she takes his hand in her own, a blush works its way across their faces, but they both ignore it. Never in her life has she heard scars be described in such a way, he makes them sound like they really do make someone better… His words make her feel like this scar will make her more beautiful.

"I never thought of it like that… I like it, a lot. Thanks Red. I will, one day I'll tell people that the scar is a mark of our friendship, a reminder of how we met and how you saved me" She said sweetly, with burning cheeks.

He blushes back, then escorts her outside, so they can wait for the rest of their peers to return. As they leave the Nurse smiles to herself, that was so sweet. "Young love, it's always the sweetest"

 **Time skip: 1 hour**

All of the children have made their way back to the camp grounds, as the activity has been won. Most of the faces are filled with annoyed pouts, while others are simply eager to see who has won, who has found the elusive Pokémon they were sent to find.

Serena stands amidst the crowd of people, alongside her stands her first and only real friend, Red. Since he's been at her side, she's found the strength to face that which scares her, such a simple thing as standing amidst strangers; it takes a lot of courage for a scared little girl to do. While it's obviously an old cliché, she doesn't care, having her crush beside her makes her feel brave.

The ever arrogant Blue, as well as the nature hating Yellow, make their way towards them. "Well at least I didn't lose to you" He said aloud, catching the attention of the new friends.

Serena scoots closer to Red; she's almost hiding behind him. He crosses his arms and clenches his fists, bracing himself for the impending bombardment of insults and arrogant comments. "What do you two want?"

Yellow crosses her own arms and narrows her eyes aggressively, she doesn't recognise Serena, but since she's hanging around with Red she instantly doesn't like her. "Who's the girl Nature boy?"

Serena's fear quickly sprouts out inside her, growing strong and tall like a flower, a flower with sharp thorns. She scoots behind Red a little further, bringing a sense of safety to herself as she does. "Red, who's this?"

Red tightens his fists upon hearing Yellow's comment; his anger grows inside his for the briefest of moments. While he couldn't care less about what either of them says about him, she's trying to involve Serena in their spiteful comments, something he won't allow. "Serena, this is Yellow and Blue. But me and Lily call them the Pikachu Princess and Dickweed. Whatever they say to you, just tell them to fuck off"

Both Blue and Yellow pout at him angrily, at the mention of their less than flattering nicknames. "DON'T CALL ME DICKWEED!" Blue shouted as loud as he could. "I'M NOT A PIKACHU PRINCESS!" Yellow screeched.

Satisfied that his own attempt at a jab has worked, Red smirks and chuckles lowly under his breath, dropping his arms in the process. Serena's fear begins to wilt inside her, her courage once again grows strong and blooms into a beautiful rose inside her heart. She comes out from behind him and giggles into her hands, while she wouldn't normally laugh at others, she'll make an exception for these two.

"Where's that freak you call a sister gone? Did she get stuck up a tree?" Yellow asked with a patronising tone.

With a roll of his eyes and the crossing of his arms, Red pulls a comical version of the Pikachu Princess' face and does his best to imitate her voice. "Almighty Pikachu Princes, you grace us with your presence. It is with deep regret that I must say, that I don't know where But for brains is… Please your majesty; leave my head on my shoulders" His tone is undeniably patronising, despite his attempts to mimic Yellow's voice.

His patronising words hit Yellow worse than any fist ever could, she pouts angrily and holds her arms against her chest tighter. Serena giggles into her hands; clearly this girl is mean and nasty, so seeing her annoyed is quite funny.

With a proud smirk, Red drops his arms, his comical face and fake voice. "Where the fuck do you think she is?... Seriously I've got no idea"

Through the megaphone in his hands, P. Oak speaks loud enough for all the children to hear his words. "You all did very well; you went out into the forest and searched for the prize. Some of you know who it is you were supposed to find, and some of you don't. It doesn't matter, you all gave it your best and that's what matters"

His kind words were expected to cause a stir, but only a seemingly endless sea of eyes greets his voice. With a nervous sweatdrop, he continues to speak. "Well… Umm… There can only be one winner for this activity, and with great pleasure I can safely say… The winner is…. Lily Ketchum!"

Many of the children clap and cheer for their friend's success, others are too frustrated with their own loss to be happy for the success of another. While Serena hasn't ever met the winner herself, the fact that she is the sister of her crush is more than enough of a reason for her to politely clap.

However, there are three children who aren't so happy with this news, the three children who are unfortunate enough to be named after a colour. Together they form the three primary colours in art, Blue, Yellow and Red. These three simply stare at P. Oak in shock, as the winner makes her way up to his side with Poliwag in her arms.

The young Serena notices that her crush isn't clapping, more than that he looks upset. "Is something wrong? Isn't it good that Lily won?"

He slowly shakes his head, as a look of slight fear writes itself across his face. "No. Now she'll be boasting about it for weeks…"

Guilt stabs into Serena's stomach; if it wasn't for her then Red would've caught Poliwag himself. She was nothing but a distraction to him, it's 'cause of her that Red lost today. "I'm sorry Red…" He turns to her with confusion across his face. "It's my fault you lost… I got hurt, so you had to take care of me. If I hadn't gotten hurt, then you'd have caught Poliwag… I'm sorry" She said with tears in her eyes.

Before any of the salty tears have the chance to leak from her eyes, he pulls her into a tight hug, which she eagerly returns with blood filled cheeks. "Don't cry… Please don't cry. Now you listen to me, never say that again, it's not your fault. No one 'made me' help you. I chose to myself"

Her cheeks fill with more blood, as her tears fade from her eyes before they ever fall. "Don't ever worry about any of that stuff again OK? I'd much rather be friends with you than win a stupid activity" He said with a comforting voice.

"YES YES YES YES! I WON!" Lily shouted at the top of her lungs. Her victory cry is accompanied by her jumps for joy, Red and Serena separate from their hug, just in time to see her start jumping. "IN YOUR FACE YELLOW!"

Lily releases her hold over Poliwag, then turns on the spot, bends over and pulls her shorts and underwear down to moon the crowd. "KISS MY ASS YELLOW!" She cried out with pride.

Many of the children cover their eyes and cry out various sounds of disgust. Serena quickly covers her mouth and turns her head to shield her eyes from the horrible sight, this girl's Red's sister? Blue raises an eyebrow, before quickly turning his head to avoid looking at her.

Red's face quickly turns a distinctive shade of green; he desperately covers his mouth as he tries not to puke. His struggle doesn't last long; he hunches over and empties his stomach onto the floor and his own feet.

Yellow's screams of horror echo throughout the camp grounds, reaching the town of Pallet itself. She quickly falls anime style and rubs her eyes desperately to wipe the sight from memory. "I can still see it!" She cried out.

Happy that her enemy is suffering from her display, Lily wiggles her hips slightly. "KISS IT YELLOW KISS IT!" She cried out. After an incredibly awkward moment, she stands up and pulls her clothes back up where they belong. With a distinctive look of pride on her face, she crosses her arms and scans the crowd to see the results of her display.

P. Oak quietly facepalms at the impetuousness of youth. "Lily, there is such a thing as being a bad winner" He muttered.

Ignoring his comment, Lily struts into the crowd in search of her brother, simply to rub her victory in his face. She is greeted by the faces of the girl she just greatly insulted, as well as the arrogant prick she and her brother enjoy winding up so much, and to top it off, a girl she doesn't recognise standing very close to her brother.

"First of all, Dickweed, Pikachu princess. Fuck off. Secondly, Red who's your new friend? Hi I'm Lily, Dum dum's sister" As she speaks she offers her hand to Serena, who hesitantly takes it. "A little on the shy side?" She nods her head in response. "Well don't worry; we'll soon get rid of that"

Before Lily can moon them again, or worse, both Blue and Yellow sulk away. Red wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and lifts his feet out of the puddle of vomit. "Lily… Did you have to moon us as well? You made me sick"

Ignoring his comment, Lily let's Serena go and smiles at her expectantly. She smiles back at her weakly. "I-I-I-I'm S-S-S-S-Serena… Nice… Nice to meet you" She nervously stammered.

Lily's smile grows wider, her eyes dart towards her brother, to see he's distracted by the puke on his feet. A perfect opportunity. "It's nice to meet you too Serena. Excuse me for a moment, I've seen something… Interesting"

Not a second later, the young girl with the light blonde hair leaps onto her brother's exposed back and knocks him into the ground, narrowly avoiding the puddle of puke as they go. She plants her ass on his back and pushes his face into the ground, while his arms flail around, trying to reach her. "EAT THE DIRT! I BEAT YOUR ASS! HOW DO YOU FEEL?! IN YOUR FUCKING FACE! EAT THE DIRT!"

Muffled grunts from her brother are the only response she gets. "WE HAD A DEAL! NOW EAT THE DIRT!"

Serena cups her hands over her mouth in shock, why are they doing this? It's horrible. "Stop fighting! Please don't do it!" She cried out.

Caught off guard by her cries, both of the twins stop their struggle and give her their undivided attention. Red lifts his face from the dirt, to reveal his stained face has a broad smile across it. "Aww! But why?!" He cried out.

"Yeah, we're having fun" Lily cried out. While she's distracted, Red pushes against the ground, which knocks Lily off his back and onto the ground. Not wasting this opportunity, he pounces on her back, jams his knee between her shoulder blades and pulls her arms against her shoulder joints.

"HA! _You_ eat the dirt! You made me sick! Never moon anyone ever again!" He shouted as he revealed in his victory. "GIVE UP! SAY YOU GIVE UP!" A few muffled grunts are the only reply he gets; based on their tone they are most likely death threats.

Serena sweatdrops at the sight before her, the two of them are enjoying this? There is something deeply wrong with these two, they're shoving each other's faces in the dirt and telling the other to eat it… They're not goanna do that to her are they? "You're not goanna try to beat me up are you?" She nervously asked.

Red maintains his grasp on his sister's arms, but turns his attention to his new friend. Lily lifts her face out of the dirt and turns to her as well. "Nope, we only beat up each other and anyone who pisses us off. So you're safe Serena" She said with a happy smile.

Serena's lips tug into a slightly creeped out smile, first Red uses some kind of weird power that healed her leg, now he and his sister are practising gorilla combat in the middle of a grassy plain in front of god only knows how many people… Her new friend is _very_ weird.

As she ponders these thoughts, a counsellor stands before the fighting siblings. His face is host to a slightly annoyed look. "All right you two, cut it out already before someone gets hurt" They both give him a look that says they're thinking about it. "Now you two, let go of each other and apologise, before I start deducting points" He said firmly.

Their eyes widen in fear, they begins frantically shaking their heads chanting "No no no no no!" As they go. "We'll be good, don't take any points" Red frantically begged, as he released his grasp on Lily's arms.

The two of them quickly stand up, hold their hands behind their back and smile sweetly. "Just picture the halo's above our heads. We're good kids" Lily said sweetly.

The counsellor smiles at the two of them, scoffing out a laugh as he does. "Really? Halo's? Well I see horns poking out of both of your heads, possibly a tail hanging out from the back of your pants… Alright then, say you're sorry then I'll let you both go"

The twins hesitantly turn to the other, neither of them wants to say the dreaded word of apology, but they both know it's better than losing any precious points. "Sorry" They both muttered.

Satisfied that his job is done for now, the counsellor goes back to his post, sighing as he goes. "Good kids, those two? Ha. Blue behaves better than they do"

The moment he's out of ear shot, the twins glare at each other and growl angrily. "They won't be able to protect you forever… The moment they're not looking, I'm kicking your ass" Lily growled.

Red narrows his eyes and growls louder. "Bring it on. I'll grind you into the dust before you can even throw a punch" He growled back at her.

 **Time skip: 8:00 PM**

The children have been sent to their cabins to get some much needed sleep, while many of them are tired and happy to be going to bed, there is a certain set of twins who were dragged to their cabin kicking and screaming, only accepting their fate when threatened with the loss of points.

The Ketchum twins clean their teeth together in their bathroom; it's nothing special, just a sink and toilet, along with a mirror. Red's wearing what he always sleeps in, a pair of black gym shorts with nothing on his feet or upper half. Unlike her brother, Lily is actually wearing some pyjamas. A short sleeved dark purple top, with a small rainbow imprinted in the centre, along with a matching pair of shorts. Like her brother she too is wearing nothing on her feet. The two of them have thick callouses built up on the soles of their feet, allowing them to walk through pretty much anything without getting hurt.

The two of them spent the day with Serena, getting to know her and becoming good friends with her. The more time they spent with her, the more she got used to their hyperactivity and aggressiveness towards each other, now she understands it's just how they show love for each other. By the end of the day, all three of them became close friends.

Lily's the first to finish cleaning her teeth. "Looks like you've got yourself a girlfriend, hey Red?" She teased with a mouthful of foam.

With a confused expression on his face, Red abandons his toothbrush in his mouth and scratches the back of his head. "Mufe ooh bawki bout?"

She quickly yanks the toothbrush from his mouth and pokes him in the eye with it. "Don't talk with ya mouth full. Didn't Mom teach yawl anythin'?" She said with an old fashioned accent. "Seriously, don't talk with your toothbrush in your mouth, can't understand you"

With one hand rubbing his now painful eye and an angry scowl on his face, he snatches his toothbrush back. "I fucking said, what are you talking about? Not the fucking eye, anywhere but the eye" He growled back at her.

She rolls her eyes at his anger, before taking a glass of water and rinsing her mouth out into the sink, leaving her mouth free of foam. "I'm talking about the fact that she's been so clingy to you, she's barely even left your side all day. And what's she mean when she says that special thing you did to her…" She smirks devilishly at him, as he swirls his mouth out with water. "Admit it, you kissed her didn't you?"

He spits out his mouthful of water onto the mirror, leaving a trail of white foam on its shinning surface. He chokes on his own breath for a moment, as Lily examines his handiwork with the mirror. "I ain't cleaning that shit up, you couldn't pay me enough"

After a moment, he manages to stop coughing long enough to breathe again, good thing too, his face was starting to turn a light shade of blue. "Are you fucking insane?! No I didn't fucking kiss her!... Jeeze… That's just gross"

She wipes her mouth and starts cleaning her toothbrush under the tap. "Be grateful Mom can't hear you, she'd have you weeding the garden for talking like that. If you didn't kiss her face off, then what did you do to her?" She asked with disinterest.

He grabs a towel and hesitantly wipes the mirror clean. "You swear worse than me… You never get fucking caught though. I told you earlier, her leg was hurt so I fixed it… Bitch" He swore under his breath.

She narrows her eyes and glares at him. "I will pretend I didn't hear that for now. When we are free from the rules and prying eyes of this place, then I will kick your ass" She said with a forced calm tone.

He throws the towel aside and glares back at her. "Why wait? Bring it on now; I'll kick your ass anytime and anywhere. Bring it bitch" He growled again.

She throws her toothbrush into the sink, as her glare grows colder as her small fists clench tightly. "I fucking would, but I don't want to risk losing points. I'll kick your ass later…. Hey, if all you did was use berries and sap on her leg, why's it not infected? If the rock had blood on it, it should be a job for the hospital" She narrows her eyes in on him, suddenly realising that there's more to this than he's told her. "What have you done?" She asked with a low growl.

At the mention of that dreaded word, Red freezes in place and trembles horrendously. "Umm… Well…. Ugh" He mumbled nervously. "I… I might have…"

She narrows her eyes even further and leans her face in close, intimidating him slightly. "Confess. What did you do?" She said with a heavy and commanding tone.

He pulls his head away from her slightly, as his face screws up in fear. "I might have… Used my powers" He mumbled in fear of his sister's wrath. "Nothing much, just a little bit of Aura to boost the effects…" He added with a squeak of fear.

For a moment Lily doesn't say or do anything, she just glares at him with an icy stare. Allowing the gravity of what she has just heard to sink in, and take effect. She slowly pulls back, and forces a look of calm to take up residence on her face. "You did what?" She asked with an equally forced calm tone. "What else did you do? Tell me exactly what you told her. Now"

He cringes more, knowing that the worst part is still to come. "I might have told her _you_ have powers too… And invited her to come over after camp, so we can tell her all about it… Please have mercy" He pleaded with a pitiful voice.

Her left eyelid twitches for a few seconds, as a vein rises up against her skin and starts to throb. "Is that all you did? Boosted the effects of the berries, told her about our powers and agreed to spill our darkest secrets out to her?... You die now" She grabs the back of his head and slams his face down onto the edge of the sink, not once, not twice but a grand total of three times. "YOU MORON! Do you have any idea what Master's goanna do when he finds out?! She'll be lucky to remember her own name!"

After she finishes introducing his face to the sink, she lets him go. No blood escapes from the none-existent wounds across his face, no bruising, nothing, not even a scuff across his skin. He looks like he hasn't even taken a single scratch. "Well I was expecting worse than that… Last time Grampa spent a week fixing what you did to me"

She snarls up in his face, trying hard to resist the urge to smash him into the mirror. "He still might. Do you have the faintest idea how serious this is Red? Master'll take her memories from her to keep this shit secret. No one can know about it, unless they're one of us" Fear and panic dominates her voice, quickly overtaking her anger. "The fuck're we goanna do?"

He crosses his arms definitively and scowls back at her. "He can fucking try it. I won't fucking let him, didn't think you'd abandon a friend either. Guess I was wrong"

"Red I'm serious, we're just Apprentices, _he's_ fully trained and has passed all the tests. He'd wipe the floor with our faces… Then there's Gallade, he said he'd cut your balls off if you told anyone. I'm really glad to be a girl right now" She said with a nervous sweatdrop.

With a nervous look of his own, he scratches the back of his head. "Yeah well, we'll worry about that later. Let's just get some sleep now… Besides, if they get angry with me I'll just tell 'em you made me do it"

A swift punch to his arm is his only answer, as his sister walks back into the main room of the cabin, he quickly joins her. "Arceus, you have to be the stupidest guy who has ever lived" She muttered under her breath.

These twins were lucky enough to get the cabin with the free bed, mostly because the two of them continuously fight and it was feared that they'd involve others if given the chance.

To their great surprise they see Serena sitting on one of the beds, with a small pink backpack in her arms. She seems to have found the floor to be very interesting, as she's staring right at it.

The twins exchange looks of confusion, then turn back to face Serena. With a grin on her face, Lily crosses her arms and puts on a look of annoyance. "Who are you and what are you doing in my bedroom?"

Serena almost jumps out of her skin in surprise at the accusation, dropping her backpack in the process. Red delivers a swift punch to his sister's arm. "The Hell are you talking about? That's Serena, you know her"

Her hand connects with her face with a smack. "You dumbass, it was a fucking joke!" His lips curl into an 'oh' expression. "Hey Serena, something up? Or are you just so desperate to see Dum dum here 'cause you've fallen head over heels in love with him?"

A deep and burning blush fills Serena's cheeks, she's so embarrassed from her friend's accusation that she quickly scoops up her bag and fumbles around with it to avoid having to speak.

Red's face doesn't fill with blood; he just stares at his sister with a confused look on his face. "Wha? Dum dum?... HEY! I'm not _that_ dumb!"

While Lily giggles to herself over their reactions, especially Serena's, Serena herself clears her throat and tries to hide the blush from her face, by looking down at the floor. "Umm… I… I came here, because… Because I wanted to sleep here" She nervously squeaked. "I don't know those guys in my cabin, they make me scared… You guys are my only friends…Could I stay here? Please?"

She lifts her head up from the ground to see the reactions of her friends; to her surprise Red has Lily in a tight headlock. Her face is turning deep crimson as her blood pools in her head. "Let me go so I can kill you" She rasped. Her small arms are clawing at the tight lock brother has over her.

With a grin of dark pleasure across his face, Red tightens his hold. "Say it! Say you give up! Say it and I'll let you go! Yeah that's fine Serena"

Lily pulls hard against his grip, but can't pull herself free. "OK OK! I give up! Just let me go!" She rasped again. And with that, Red releases his hold over his sister, who rubs her neck with both hands and a venomous look across her face. "Alright, if you're staying here then we're goanna set up the ground rules OK?"

With a smile on her face, Serena nods her head furiously. "OK, what are they?"

Red crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "Here we go…" He muttered under his breath.

Lily holds her hands behind her back and confidently struts through the cabin in a circular pattern. "Rule number one… Get your ass off my bed and keep it off, I don't share ever. Rule number two… If you get cold during the night, then stay out of my bed, if you want to snuggle someone do it to Red. Rule number three… Wake me before seven and die" She said with an authoritive tone. She stops pacing, when she reaches Serena herself.

Her face turns deadly serious as she places her hands on her hips. "Seriously now, Red has just told me that he has let you in on a closely guarded secret. So closely guarded, that our Master is probably going to try to take your memory from you to keep it secret. We'll do everything we can to stop that, it'll help our case if you don't breathe a word of it. OK?"

Serena's expression shows that she's slightly creeped out; she turns to Red, looking for signs of support, all she finds is a second serious look. She turns back to Lily and takes a calming breath. "OK?... You guys have a Master?"

Red nods his head. "Yeah, two of them, one's a Gallade… Who're both goanna be _very_ angry with me. So unless you want them to do the same to you, keep quiet"

"Red he can't do the same to her, she's a girl" Lily said with a sigh at her brother's stupidity. "You're the only one who's at risk of that"

"At risk of what?" Serena asked with concern, just what trouble has she caused her friends?

"Don't worry about it, it's his problem. All you need to worry about is keeping that info to yourself. Got questions?" Lily asked.

Serena nods her head, while giving Red a look that says 'sorry'. "Yeah I do, what's goanna happen to Red?"

Red leans his shoulder on the doorway and sighs. "I'm probably goanna lose my balls… Nothing for you to worry about. Anything else?"

She sweatdrops at his casual discussion of having his balls removed by force, but she does have more questions. "Ugh… Yeah… What do you mean my memories are at risk?"

Lily drops her arms and sucks on her lip, nibbling it lightly in the process. "Well… We usually wipe the memories of those who find out about us, that way outsiders don't spread our secrets"

"You really don't want that Serena, it fucks with people's heads" Red commented.

Lily throws his a light scowl before continuing with her explanation. "But we're goanna try to prevent that from happening though, if after camp Red looks like a bigger moron than normal, then you know why. Next question?"

Serena's face pales slightly upon hearing these words; she swallows her fear and forces herself to ask another question. "You two do that to people?"

The twins shake their heads. "Nope, we're not skilled enough yet. Master's done it to… I think its three people before though. Next?" Lily asked.

"I'm actually scared to ask but… Who are you people? I mean you guys and your Masters, you're definitely not normal… In a good way though, I'm just…" Serena's voice trails off, before she can finish her ramblings.

Lily looks to Red. "You wanna answer this one?"

He nods his head, accidentally banging his head on the frame in the process. "Ow. We're part of an ancient order… This is starting to sound like one of the stories Grampa tells us… Anyway, we are Aura Knights in training, Apprentices" He said unthinking, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Wait… I shouldn't have said that… CRAP! Now I'm _really_ dead"

As his sister facepalms at his stupidity once again, she groans heavily. "OK, now he's just gone and let the Purloin out of the bag… Keep that name to yourself, seriously, there're a lot of people who'll do worse than wipe your memory if they hear you say it…. We'll explain properly when we're safe at home OK? Remind me never to let him answer questions anymore"

The very confused Serena smiles weakly at both the twins, before swallowing nervously once again. "Am I goanna end up regretting asking to know this stuff?"

Red rubs his head with both hands, all these questions are starting to make his head hurt. "Ugh… Probably, we said the same thing when we first heard it"

"Do you regret it asking?" She asked.

His hands freeze in place, then slowly slide from his head. "No. Not even for a single second"

Lily nods her head in agreement. "How can we regret the only _real_ life we've ever known?... Now get your ass off my bed, I'm goin' to sleep"

Serena quickly jumps up off the bed, as Lily jumps onto it face first into the pillow, almost instantly a small puddle of drool leaks from her sleeping mouth. "Zzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzzz"

Serena sweatdrops slightly, before going into the bathroom to change into her night clothes. Red sits down on his own bed with his face in his hands, how could he just say that? He's kept his mouth shut for years, why'd he just say it so easily? More importantly, how's he goanna explain this to Gallade without losing his balls?

After a few minutes of pondering his mistake, he decides that there's nothing he can do right now and lies down on his bed, above the blanket like his sister and tries to sleep, but it's difficult with Lily's snoring.

Serena comes back, wearing a full length pink nightie with hearts across its surface. Having had time to absorb the information she's been entrusted with, she's realised that she has inadvertently gotten Red into a lot of trouble. She sits down on her new bed and kicks her backpack under it.

"Red… I'm sorry" She said with a heavy tone.

He rolls his head to face her. "What for?"

She nervously twiddles her thumbs and sucks on her lip. "I… I've got you trouble, I'm sorry"

With a shrug of his shoulders and a smile on his face, her guilt begins to melt away inside her. "You didn't get me in trouble, got myself in trouble. I do that a lot, you'll get used to it if you stick around with us. Now stop worrying, just get some sleep. We've still got to beat But for brains there" He said as he gestured towards his sister.

With a smile and nod of her own, she climbs under her covers and shuts her eyes, she's asleep within minutes.

He still lies awake though, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what'll become of his new friend. "Master might try to take her memories; if he does I won't fucking let him. Then there's the other thing, what if he kills her?... I don't think he'll go that far, she's just like us, a kid. He didn't hurt us at all… We just found him and Gallade training, they didn't even try to hurt us, they just told us that they're going to teach us. Train us. Make us both one of them… That was two years ago now… I wonder what'll happen once camp's over"

 **Time skip: End of camp.**

Another summer has come and gone, signalling the end of this year's camp. The winner has been declared, and P. Oak has said his goodbyes, wishing them all the best of luck with the rest of the year.

The children are all in their cabins, packing up their stuff so they can go to their waiting parents to be taken home again. The Ketchum twins and Serena are no exception to this; they're all in their cabin packing up their stuff. There is a thick sense of tension in the air, breeding an awkward silence, which is only broken by the mutterings of Red.

The seven year old boy tosses his clothes and the other things he brought with him into his backpack, he's so angry that he's not packing them properly, he's wasting valuable space. While he packs without coordination, he mutters death threats to his sister under his breath.

Unlike her brother, Lily carefully and efficiently packs away her junk, her face isn't filled with anger or annoyance, it's filled with an undeniable sense of pride. Having accumulated the most points, Lily won the competition and got to choose the starter Pokémon of her choice.

Sensing the tension between the siblings, Serena tries to defuse the situation, before they can get into yet another fight. "You both did great; it was a close call… Getting second isn't so bad Red. At least you beat Dickweed, he only got third" She said gently.

Unmoved by her comforting words, Red tips out his backpack and once again tries to pack it all away again. "You fucking cheated" He muttered under his breath once again.

With a smirk on her face, Lily closes up her own backpack and turns to face her brother. "I cheated? Did you just accuse me of cheating?" She said smugly. "Well if I cheated, then so did you. We're both stronger and faster than the others 'cause of our powers"

With a dark scowl across his face, he turns to face her. "I meant 'cause you didn't get caught punching the Pikachu Princess. _You_ didn't lose any points. It's not fair! Dickweed pushed me too far, I hit him in the face and I lose point's 'cause of it… You did the same to Yellow and didn't get caught… It's not fucking fair"

With yet another smug grin, she goes to his side and helps him pack up his own backpack. "Well you shouldn't have been caught then should you? Come on let's pack this up, Mom's waiting for us"

With an annoyed grunt, Red starts packing up his stuff once again, with significantly less anger than before. Satisfied that the tension has eased slightly, Serena finishes up her own backpack and slumps it over her shoulder.

Just as the twins finish packing Red's pack, a voice whispers in their minds, loud enough for them to hear, but quiet enough for them to stop and focus on it. "(Lily, Red. Your vacation is over; the time to train once again begins. I want to see you both, first thing in the morning. Meet us in the Viridian forest)"

The twins freeze in place for a moment, the sound of their Master's voice has stolen their ability to move. The familiar feeling of their heart beat is all that can break through their paralysis. Normally the sound of his voice would spark excitement in their hearts, as it signals the beginning of another day of training, another day of learning, another day of pounding the snot out of each other. But now, it signifies that they will have to face him again, it means they will have to tell him that they spilled the secrets of the order to an outsider… The fear of the consequences has paralysed them both.

As they regain their ability to move again, Red picks up his backpack and slumps it over his shoulder, together they turn to face Serena, who beams back at them. "All done?"

With a shaky nod, Lily scoops up her pack and the three of them take their first steps outside to face their parents. "I'm so dead" Red thought as he nervously swallowed, while contemplating the fate of his balls.

* * *

 **There it is guys, chapter 1. Now if anyone actually managed to get through this till the end, good for you!**

 **I'm certain there's at least one of you out there wondering why I said this is a dark story, when this chapter clearly wasn't. Right now things are calm… The peace and tranquillity of the first Arc won't last long though; the dark shit comes into play once this is over. Until then there'll only be dark elements at times.**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review, suggest, comment, get angry with me. Do whatever you want, hit me with your best shot.**

 **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	2. Tranquil as the sea

**Chapter 2: Tranquil as the sea**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **I've worked my hairy ass off to make this chapter even better than the last one, and I am fucking pleased with how it turned out.**

 **I know this arc is a little slow, but trust me things pick up** _ **big time**_ **in the second arc and the third… Hehehehehehehe… Well you'll just have to read on for yourselves to see what I mean.**

 **Shoutout to Wolfblade84, thanks so much for the review and all the support, it's really appreciated. A shoutout to everyone who's hit that follow button with their face, THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm aifrad taht I dno't own Pékoomn and I nveer will, how mnay of you can atulalty raed tihs? It's sospeupd to be vrey dclifufit, yet I can do it eslaiy. It dno't mkae snsee.**

 **Edit: OK like the last chapter, I've re-written this one and improved it immensely. Read on and enjoy! – 3/5/16**

* * *

 **Previously**

The story began with Pallet town's yearly summer camp. We met the five children who P. Oak feels have bright future's as Pokémon trainers.

Serena, Yellow, Blue, Lily and Red.

Serena got lost and managed to hurt her leg, but she was quickly found by her knight in shining armour, Red managed to patch up her wound and take her back to camp.

The two of them, along with his sister, became close friends. Serena developed a crush on her saviour, which remained strong even as camp came to an end.

* * *

The Ketchum twins find themselves amidst the thick and lush forest of Viridian, the similarities between this and the forests surrounding Pallet are uncanny. Perhaps they were once one and the same, both born from the same saplings and grass. Time has a way of separating and splintering origins, allowing them to grow apart from each other and become something else.

Both the young children kneel before two figures, their heads hung low with looks of shame across their faces. The undeniable sense of fear is flowing from both of the children, the consequences of Red's actions will undoubtedly affect them both as well as their friend, but just what will the consequences be?

The fear of the unknown affects many souls, human and Pokémon alike. To not know what will happen to them, to not know what will happen to their friend, it's a fear that no words can ever describe.

Two figures stand before the children; the first figure is the slightly taller of the two, standing 5 foot 4 off the ground. His entire body is covered by the pitch black fur of skinned Mightyena, forming a heavy black traveling cloak, the hood of said cloak casts a heavy shadow across his face, hiding it from sight. The same cloak covers his frame from sight, making it impossible to tell how developed his body is. The only trace of colour that can pierce the impenetrable darkness of his cloak of fur is a thin but distinctive trace of gold stitching across his back.

A strange symbol forms from the stitching; a perfect hollow circle covers his back. Through the highest point, a line falls down to the lowest point, dividing the circle in two.

The left half of the circle holds many smaller circles, forming what appear to be craters, like the surface of the moon. Around the edges of the right half, the gold stitching has formed what looks to be dancing flames, much like the surface of the sun.

Standing beside the cloaked male, a Pokémon stands at 5 foot 3. Its body is divided into two colours, its bottom half is sterling white, while its torso and arms are deep green. The waist of the split Pokémon is shaped like a flat oval, which acts as its hips. The legs start off thin but grow wider the further they go. There are no feet to speak of, as the limbs are fused with its legs to form a pair of hybrid limbs.

Two red spikes protrude from its torso, one from its chest and a second from its back. The arms of this Pokémon are very slender, resembling its legs to a certain degree in terms of having no hands to speak of. The elbow joint has a sword like talon protruding from it, which can be retracted and extended at will. Its spherical shaped head is divided by a turquoise line; most of said head is deep green, as well as clinical white. Its eyes are razor sharp, as well a deep piercing red. From the sides of its head, a pair of white spikes protrudes behind from its eyes. Finally a large turquoise horn protruds from the top of its head, connected to the line which runs down its face.

He is a Gallade, a powerful Psychic and Fighting type Pokémon.

He wears armour across his torso, a steel chest piece, held together by small leather straps either side of his torso. His chest and back are covered by the moulded steel, going down as far as his hips without covering them. His shoulders are barely covered by the steel, offering little to no protection from attacks. His neck remains exposed to the elements, as does his head.

There is a pair of small slit like holes for his chest and back spikes, allowing them to be used without being covered. Just beneath his chest spike, a small round stone rests in the armour. The main body of said stone is clinical white, much like his skin. The centre of the precious jewel holds a flame, frozen mid burn, in place of the usual colours, this flame is deep green with a pink streak through its centre. This stone is his Galladite, when combined with his Master's Key Stone; it gives him the power of Mega Evolution.

The steel plate has many decorative engravings across its surface, but the back has the same symbol as his Master's cloak does, with an additional written message. "We stand ever vigilant"

This armour is doesn't seem to have dents or scratches across its surface, perhaps it is simply symbolic rather than for combat.

* * *

Gallade's eyes reflect rage, unyielding rage. Both he and his Master gave their Apprentices the chance to explain their actions, having been offered no reasonable explanation for the betrayal; he stands ready to act on his dark threat.

" _You not only revealed your powers to this stranger, you told her our name?"_ His voice links directly to their minds, using telepathy. _"You know the cost of your betrayal Red. Stand and ready yourself for punishment"_

A bead of sweat runs down the forehead of Red, he hesitantly lifts his head up to face both his Master and Gallade. "Gallade, I didn't have a choice. It was either help her or leave her on her own…" He countered weakly with fear.

As the child pleads his case, Gallade extends his right elbow talon and channels his Psychic energy into it. The sword like appendage glows hot pink with Psychic energy, forming a Psycho Cut attack. _"Stand and accept your punishment. Now"_ He growled in anger.

Lily too lifts her head to face Gallade, like her brother she too is covered in sweat produced from fear. "But it wasn't his fault! You can't hurt him for this, he did what needed to be done, that's what he _had_ to do!" She pleaded.

With a sadistic snarl, Gallade's eyes glow luminous blue with Psychic energy. _"I said STAND!"_ The same light that fills his eyes quickly envelops Red's entire body, forcing him to his feet. _"Face your punishment like a man"_ He spat with venom.

The cloaked figure turns towards his partner Pokémon, whom he has been with since he was a child himself. "Gallade. Stop now" His voice is hollow and empty, but carries steel behind it. "Release him now"

Gallade turns sharply to face his Master, his eyes still glowing brightly with Psychic energy. _"Master, you know as well as I do what he has done. As punishment I will turn him into a eunuch"_

Red struggles against Gallade's hold over him, but his body just won't obey his will. All he can do is try to resist, for what little good it does him.

The hooded figure locks his eyes onto those of his angered Pokémon, communicating silently, the two of them remain locked in a silent debate for several minutes, each trying to dominate the other. Finally, Gallade's eyes return to their usual red and the field of Psychic energy holding Red fades, allowing him to drop to his knees again.

" _So be it. I will do as you wish Master"_ Gallade said bitterly. _"But they must be punished for their crimes against the order. I trust you will administer justice swiftly and fairly"_ The glow fades from his talon, as it withdraws back into his arm once again.

With a swift nod of his head, the figure turns to face his Apprentices, both of whom look at him with a mixture of fear and respect. "This is a very serious matter, you not only revealed your powers to an outsider, knowing the danger it would bring to her, but you also revealed the name of the order. Do you two have any idea how much danger that poor girl is in? If she so much as breathes a word of our order her life could be in serious danger"

Both of the twins bow their heads slightly, in an attempt to hide the shame that has crawled across their faces from their Masters. "Yes Master… I know what I've done. But Lily had nothing to do with it, I'm the one who showed her my Aura, I'm the one who told her the name. Lily just told her to keep her mouth shut" He said mareepishly.

"Regardless of your motivations or roles in the act, something must be done about it. Since you feel you are old enough and wise enough to be sharing our secrets Red, _you_ will decide her fate. Either her memory of the event is wiped, along with her memories of you both, or she joins us in our training" His words stir up even more fear from the children, causing them to look up at him with teary eyes. "If she becomes one of us, she will be forced to make the same sacrifice as you two must. Make your choice Red"

Gallade smirks slyly; while the look of fear in their eyes stabs into his heart, the pleasure of seeing Red in this state overpowers the pain. With this hard lesson, the two of them will never expose the secrets again, for fear of the same happening once more.

The scared children turn to each other, each silently pleading for the other to help them. Neither of them wants to be forced to decide their friend's fate, how can they? They are but children, how can it be expected of them to make such a heavy decision? To decide the fate of another, a friend, is no easy task, one that should never be placed on such young shoulders.

"Master… I can't make that choice" Red said shakily, while Lily nodded her head in agreement.

"It's not fair for us to decide what happens to her, she's done nothing wrong" She added to his statement.

In a flash of pink light, Gallade lunges forwards with his right talon extended and in the form of a Psycho Cut attack, aimed firmly in Red's face. _"Unless you want me to remove limbs as well as your family jewels, I suggest you choose"_ The eyes of the boy focus on the blade like limb before his eyes, a trail of sweat runs down his face, as fear swells up inside him again.

"GALLADE! BACK DOWN NOW!" The figure ordered. Almost instantly, the angered Pokémon withdraws his talon and takes his place next to his Master with a bowed head.

" _Forgive me Master, my emotions are running high today"_

The young girl swallows her fear and turns to her brother, his face is host to sheer and utter terror, he is undoubtedly terrified of Gallade. Normally the two of them do not get along well, but today Gallade is taking it too far, seeking to deliberately intimidate the boy.

"Master, why don't we let Serena decide? I mean it's her life, shouldn't she have some say in it?" She said bravely. Red's face lights up at the suggestion; he nods his head furiously in agreement, but doesn't voice his approval for fear of being subjected to Gallade's anger once again.

The red eyes of blade Pokémon narrow disapprovingly, his arms cross themselves across his chest as he scowls at his Apprentices. _"No. Red is responsible for this crime, he will be the one to decide her fate"_

"I disagree Gallade; Serena should have the right to choose her own fate. I'll allow this, on one condition" He said sternly. The hopes of the children rise exponentially, have they escaped their fate? "Whatever she decides, _you_ will be the one to administer it Red. If she desires her memories to removed, then you will take them from her. If however she chooses to become one of us, then she will be trained by you, once you complete your own training. A fair deal, considering the severity of your crime against us all"

The tears that were building in the eyes of both the children vanish from existence, replaced by joyous smiles. "That's great Master! Thanks so much!" He happily cheered. "I'd love to train her!"

With a disapproving grunt, Gallade turns his head to the side with shut eyes. _"Don't forget, should she choose to lose her memory, then you must take it from her. Understood?"_

The cloaked figure turns towards his partner once again, despite his face being hidden from sight, there is distinct feeling in the air that he is scowling angrily at him. "That's enough Gallade. Your point has been made" He turns back to face his Apprentices. "Until next we meet, you two are free to go"

With that, Gallade's eyes fill with Psychic energy once again. In a flash of blinding white light, both he and the cloaked figure teleport away from this place, taking with them the sense of tension in the air.

* * *

Several days have passed since camp came to an end, while it is undoubtedly on its way out, summer still lingers in Pallet. The sun shines down upon the small town, a few white clouds dot the canvas that is the morning sky, while they bring no threat of rain with them, they tie the scene together to form a picture.

With a skip in her step and smile on her lips, young Serena makes her way through the streets of her home town. While she hasn't seen her friends since camp came to an end, they've all kept in contact through the video phone. They've agreed to meet up today at the twins home, where Serena hopes they will keep their promise in explaining their powers to her.

Even if they don't, she'll be glad to see them again in person, talking through a phone doesn't have the same impact as spending time with loved ones directly.

She's kept up her end of the promise, having not told a soul about the strange power Red used to treat her wound or the Aura Knights, whatever they are.

While she walks, she hums a song to herself. Her Mom walks with her, holding her hand all the way to stop her from getting lost.

Grace Yvonne isn't a tall woman, only reaching 5 foot 4. Her hair is dark brown, unlike her daughter she hasn't let it grow long; she has it styled to be short but thick, ending in slight curls. Her eyes are a mirror image of her daughter's; it would seem that it's the only physical part of them that they share.

She was a professional Rhyhorn racer before she had her daughter, which explains why she doesn't dress very femininely. A dark blue t-shirt that hangs freely from her body, hiding her natural curves, isn't generally considered attractive on a woman. Her pale green sweatpants aren't exactly feminine either, combined a matching jacket tied around her waist, she's dressed to race, not impress. She is not wholly without femininity though; she wears a yellow hair beret on her left side, to keep it out of her eyes when she rides. Her feet are covered by a pair of sensible red shoes, which again suit her racing lifestyle rather than a look of attractiveness.

The little girl wears her smile with pride; the excitement to see her friends again is bursting through her and shinning for all to see. Her Mother notices the sparkle in her eyes and glow in her smile, having not seen a look like this in her baby girl before, curiosity sparks up inside her. What could have happened at camp to make her so giddy like this?

"See, I told you it was a good idea to go to camp. You're certainly happier in yourself, and your confidence has certainly grown. Even if you got a little hurt, it was worth it, wasn't it sweetie?" Grace asked with a sweet tone and a happy smile.

Her daughter returns the smile tenfold, before blushing ever so slightly at the memory of her injury. Her Knight in shining armour came to her rescue when she needed him the most. "Yeah! It was a great idea Mama"

"It was certainly kind of Red to help you like that, it was even luckier that he found you and got you back safely. I'm so pleased you made friends with them both, it's done you the world of good" Grace said as they approached their destination.

The moment it comes into view, Serena's blush grows stronger, becoming clearly visible to all but the densest individual. This doesn't go unnoticed by her mother, who draws a slight grin as she realises just what happened to affect her little girl so much. "My baby's got her first crush… Awww" She thought.

They quickly reach the small cottage like building, having only a single floor it can't be classed as a house.

The roof of the small building is like many other buildings here in Pallet, it's a dirty shade of red, most likely due to all the dirt and grime that has accumulated over the summer months. Without the cleansing touch of rain to wash it away, it has been allowed to build up freely.

The entrance to this small home remains unpainted, allowing the oak wood to remain exposed for all to see. A silver knocker hangs from the door, which guests are supposed to use to gain admittance to the home. The outer walls are also unpainted, in place of paint oak sliding has been used to decorate their surface; apparently the owner likes oak wood. There are several white rimmed windows dotting the walls, allowing a fair amount of the summer sunlight to come through. The windows are styled to have a rounded top.

What the home lacks in size, it makes up for in its garden space. There is a low, solid wooden fence surrounding said garden, not so low that an average sized adult could look over it, but low enough to allow some leafy plants to poke over its top and peek out at those that go past.

Neither of the twins is well versed with flowers, so they were unable to tell Serena what kinds their Mom has grown here, but they were able to describe them and their beauty to her. From what she's been told, the garden must be beautiful and well kept.

The silver knocker instantly catches Serena's eye, with a stretch, she tries in vain to reach it. With an amused smile, Grace crouches down to give her a hand. "Let me help sweetie. Up we go" She lifts her up into the air, allowing the young girl to bang the knocker twice. With a giggle of amusement, she finds her feet back on solid ground again.

After a moment the door opens wide, allowing a kind hearted woman to greet her guests.

She has long auburn brown hair, much like Red's, which is tied up into a ponytail. Her emerald green eyes match Lily's perfectly, but something else graces her face, something which neither of her children has. A warm motherly smile.

She dresses with much more thoughts to her appearance than Grace does, a pink blouse which hugs her body well, preserves her modesty from the prying eyes of any perverts across town. A knee length dark blue skirt, which also hugs her body well, also draws in attention from many eyes. Since she is often on her feet, she can't afford to wear high heeled shoes, the pain would be excruciating. In place of the fancy type of shoe, she wears a pair of sensible blue pumps.

Her emerald eyes instantly recognise one of her oldest friends, thus recognising the little girl standing next to her. Delia's motherly smile grows broader, having been told by both her children that they had invited a friend over, she was expecting a visit, but she wasn't expecting their friend to be her own friend's daughter.

"Hello Grace, nice to see you again" She beams down at the obviously nervous Serena, in an attempt to make her feel welcome. "Hello there Serena, Red and Lily told me they'd invited their cute little friend over, but I didn't think you'd be _this_ adorable" She chimed happily.

With a smile of her own, Grace gently squeezes Serena's hand, encouraging her to say hello. "Nice to see you too Delia, Serena say hello to Mrs Ketchum"

For a moment Serena's nervousness nature returns to her, she's unable to do more than bow respectfully to Delia and squeeze her Mom's hand for comfort.

"Red's told me a lot about you Serena, so has Lily, they told me about your leg… Is it all better now?" Delia asked gently, to avoid scaring the poor child any further than she already is.

The child in question blushes lightly, as she wonders just what her crush has been saying about her. She quickly tries to hide her blush from sight, which her mother misinterprets as her being shy. "It's OK Serena, this is Delia. Mama's old friend from when she was a racer… Remember?" She asked with a sweet voice to comfort her.

In an effort to be brave, the blushing Serena turns back to face her elder, swallows her fear and lingering nerves, then tries to speak. "H-h-h-hello… Mrs Ketchum, it's nice to meet you"

Delia's heart melts ever so slightly as she hears her sweet voice, she crouches down to her level to help put her at ease. "You have such lovely manners Serena, my children could really learn a lot from you. Do you think you could teach Red to be more polite for me? He's so rude, and I think a sweet girl like you could teach him more than me. Can you do that for me please?"

A light blush works its way back to Serena's cheeks, forcing a smile to make its way to her face. With a happy nod, she speaks. "OK, I'll try. But Red's really rude though… Especially to Lily. I'll do my best with him"

With a light giggle, Delia stands back up again. "Well would you like to come in? The kids are out in the garden, probably fighting again like they always are"

Serena's petite face lights up even further, erasing any traces of lingering fear and nervousness within her. She nods her head happily. "Yes please, may I come in?" Her voice carries more confidence through it than before.

Delia giggles into her hand slightly, Serena's so sweet, hopefully some of her good manners and behaviour will rub off on her own children. "Of course it is" She stands to the side, to allow her guest entrance. "The doors slide open, go right ahead"

With a respectful bow and a quick goodbye to her Mom, Serena walks inside and searches for the sliding doors Delia told her to use. She quickly spots them, a pair of glass patio doors with a simple lock at the bottom, today they are open to allow someone to move through them freely.

A Pokémon catches her attention shortly after she steps inside her friends home; it's very human like, resemble a mime. Its body is pure white, with large red balls across it. Its feet resemble black shoes with curly toes; its hands are quite large, white with red finger tips. Its face is host to an annoyed scowl, as it tries to remove a stubborn stain from carpet, but there are still large red dimples on its cheeks. Finally its ears are very long and resemble its feet.

She quickly recognises it as a Mr Mime, a Psychic and Fairy Pokémon.

" _Dam you Lily, what did you do to this carpet?"_ He muttered under his breath, his voice sounding nothing like his words to Serena. She decides its best not to interrupt him, he looks busy. Instead she makes her way to the sliding doors, which will lead her to both her crush and her friend.

* * *

Grace watches her daughter make her way into the cottage like home, surprised that she actually went in on her own. "Wow, I'm impressed. She's really grown since she went to camp"

Delia quickly stands to face Grace once again, with her usual smile across her face as she does. "I am too, I'd never have expected her to go somewhere without you… Maybe it has something to do with seeing Red and Lily; they've been looking forward to seeing her again"

Grace offers a thoughtful nod in response, as she thinks how to phrase her next question without causing her friend offence. "Delia… I've been meaning to ask you, has Drake contacted you at all? A phone call? A letter?... Anything?"

At the mention of her husband's name, Delia's smile drops from her face, replaced by a sad frown. Her eyes drop towards the welcome mat at her feet, it's so dirty you can barely read the writing across it; she makes a mental note to clean it later.

With a heavy sigh, she pushes the distraction from her mind to answer the question she was given. "No… He's not done anything, not even acknowledging out existence… I just don't understand why he left us; he was always such a devoted father to the twins, even before they were born… He loved them from the moment I told him I was pregnant, he even sang to them before they were born… So why would he leave us?"

Her sadness is broken when her old friend pulls her into a warm hug, which she returns. "I don't know why… But I still miss him, so much" She almost cried.

Grace tries to soothe her by rubbing her hand across her back, she knows it's a touchy subject for Delia, but she had to know. "He's been gone for… Seven years now? Almost eight? And you still miss him?... I know my Alex goes for long periods of time, but he calls us so much, at least once a week… To think he could just leave, I just don't understand it"

The two of them pull apart, a couple stray tears fall from Delia's eyes, which she quickly wipes away. Grace offers her a sympathetic smile, before deciding to change the subject. "Speaking of love, I think you better know. I'm almost certain Serena's got a crush on your Red"

With a light giggle of amusement, Delia smiles happily at her old friend. "Oh I already know that, according to Lily she's been dropping hints to him like crazy… But unfortunately Red's too much like his father; he looks just like he did at his age, except his hair. He's got my hair… Anyway, he's dense as a Slowbro, just like Drake is….. It took him months to figure out that I wanted to go out with him, even then someone had to point it out to him"

The two mothers engage in a bout of amused giggles, as they exchange stories of how they met their husbands and fell in love with them. Despite the fact that they were polar opposites.

* * *

Serena decides to take a moment to examine their home, despite the rudeness with such an act, her curiosity into the lives of her friends drives her to carry on.

The living room has a two seated cream sofa; there are various stains across its surface, most likely from different kinds of food and drinks. Red's probably the one whose done most of these, with his veracious eating habits, it's not outside the field of probability that he's spilled food across its surface.

Next to the sofa, sits a pair of cream coloured armchairs with low backs. With the sofa in place, they form an L shape. Unlike the sofa, the chairs don't have stains from any form of food or drink. They remain as pristinely clean as the day they were purchased.

Between the seating areas, lies a small black wooded coffee table. Like the sofa this too has food stains across it, but it also looks as though someone has tried to clean them off, but failed miserably. There seems to be a patch across it that is sunk down more than the rest of the wood, as though something heavy has been repeatedly placed on its surface.

The room itself has cream coloured walls, painted to be such a colour. The floors are quite the contrast, being a deep crimson colour, not unlike blood. There is only a single stain across the carpet, which the Mr Mime is currently working on removing.

In front of the seating area sits a black, wooden TV stand. A simple TV sits atop it, with what looks like a photo album leaning up against its side. But behind the TV, there is a large picture hanging on the wall.

The picture captures her attention, drawing her eye to the moment in history it has captured in its sterling frame. It shows a younger Delia, she looks quite like she does now; there isn't really much difference between them. The only indication that she's younger than she is now is what she's holding in her arms. In either arm, she's holding a significantly younger Red and Lily; they look to be no older than two in this picture.

While the two of them barely have any teeth in this picture, they're both smiling and reaching out for the camera. On Delia's right side, the same Mr Mime who's cleaning right now stands with a broad smile across his face. On her left is a Pokémon Serena doesn't recognise, a blue jackal like Pokémon, its face is covered in wrinkles. While she doesn't recognise it, it seems to be smiling back at the camera.

"Where's their Daddy?" She found herself asking. She looks around the room, searching for more pictures that might give her the answer she seeks. The only other picture in the room hangs on the wall next to the sliding doors, beside it sits a plaque.

The picture holds what looks like an elderly version of Red; the man's hair is silver grey, but it's still wild and messy like Red's is. His face is covered in wrinkles, but still holds a toothy smile, he looks so happy. Standing beside him is the same jackal like Pokémon from the other picture, only it looks a bit older, its face has the same number of wrinkles and its holding what looks like a glowing bone in its paws. The bone is quite large, able to touch the ground and climb up to meet his paws without him having to lean down. This Pokémon seems to be using the bone as a walking stick.

Based on the age of the man in this picture, he must be their Grampa and the Pokémon must be one of his. So why aren't there any pictures of their Dad?

The plaque beside the picture has a short engraving on it, it reads.

Draco Ketchum

1917 – 2000

Beloved father, grandfather and Pokémon Champion.

Gone from this world, but never forgotten.

" _Never Surrender"_

The plaque confirms Serena's suspicions, this man was their Grampa, but he died six years ago… How sad. What would he have made of his Grandchildren? Would he have been proud of them, or would he expect more from them?

Based on what this memorial plaque says, he was a Champion, so it's likely that his expectations would have been high. Or maybe he would have been proud of them regardless of what they do with their lives, who knows? These are questions that will forever remain unanswered.

Yet another question forces its way into her mind, one that leaves her filled with confusion. When she first met Red, she distinctly remembers him saying. _"It's just like Grampa says, no matter how hard things get, no matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how low you get. Never surrender. No matter what"_

How can his Grampa always say 'never surrender' if he's dead?

She quickly dismisses these questions, coming to the conclusion that it must be another Grampa who says never surrender.

Deciding that she's probed around in their home for long enough, she makes her way through the open doors to go out into the garden. The moment she passes through the protection of the doors, the harsh sunlight bombards her and steals her sight, regardless she takes her first step outside, after a moment her sight returns to her, allowing her to see the beautiful slice of heaven before her.

Instantly she's able to feel there's no patio to greet her, instead her feet are greeted by the cool touch of the grass, while she's wearing her flip flops; she can still feel the grass. She kicks the offending footwear off her feet, allowing her to feel the coolness of the grass better.

The lush deep green plant life around her feet and between her toes is kept short, just short enough to keep it neat and tidy. The edges of the garden don't have grass; the composted earth can clearly be seen through the plants growing from its surface. There seems to be a never ending sea of fresh flowers blooming out from the life giving earth, forming an endless rainbow of colours. There are a few tall leafy plants growing out of them earth, up against the fence, using it to climb ever higher.

But that isn't even the best part of this beautiful slice of heaven, at the back of this lush garden sits a small pond. It's not large enough to support anything but a small amount of plant life, but that adds to its charm, the only thing that can survive in its depths are a couple of lily pads.

Smooth grey rocks surround its muddy edges, concealing them from sight and turning them into a focal point. At the front of the feature, the rocks start off small and well-polished, as they go around the sides they get bigger and less polished. The rocks that stand at the back of the water are covered in thick moss, it seems to be allowed to grow there as it hides where the rocks join, making them seem like a single formation.

A tiny water fountain sits between the cracks in the rocks, allowing a continuous stream of water to flow down into the pond, forming a miniature waterfall out of the rocks. It's beautiful and seems like the perfect place to relax for an afternoon.

She quickly finds her friends waiting for her in front of the pond, sitting cross legged before the shimmering surface of the water. She makes her way towards them both, with a joyous smile across her young face. As she gets closer to them both, her untrained eye spots something strange about them both.

Her crush is surrounded by a brilliant red glow, almost exactly like the way when he used his powers to heal her leg, the only visible difference is this glow is far stronger. The flame like light rises up and across his young body, using him to climb higher and higher, as though he is a match stick that the light can use to spark a fire.

Like her brother, Lily too is surrounded by a mysterious glow. The glow surrounding her is very different to his though; her glow is rose pink and is flowing very differently. It seems to be radiating from her entire body, but it isn't rising up, it's flowing out in all directions at once. Occasionally it seems to spike out towards something, anything that seems to catch its attention, then the flow returns to the way it was before.

Serena is mesmerised by the glows radiating from them both, so much so that she begins to forget what she came here for. Each of her eyes seem to act on their own, her left lingers over Red's form, while her right absorbs the beauty of Lily's glow.

The twins sit before the pond with their eyes shut and their heads bowed to gaze into the shimmering surface of the water. Their hands are held out at their sides, their fingers extended out to the grass beneath them, with the exception of the middle fingers, which remain pressed against their palms with their thumbs holding them there.

 **(A/N This will be known as the Meditative pose)**

The only sound either of them makes is the sound of the air passing through their nostrils, providing them with the life giving oxygen their young lungs crave. Other than that, the human ear cannot pick up any sounds either of them is making.

They are both as tranquil as the sea…

Now they are no longer constricted to the rules of summer camp, their feet are free of the bindings of footwear. Thick calluses have formed across the soles of their delicate feet, while this skin condition causes pain to many, to these two it allows them to walk freely through the world, without fear of their feet being harmed by the earth.

"Serena, you have come" Red said with an unusually calm tone.

"We have been expecting you… Come closer, we don't bite" Lily said, like her brother she too has an unusually calm tone to her voice. "Well I don't anyway"

Their words fall on deaf ears, Serena's sense of hearing has been silenced by the beauty of the glows surrounding them both. Her eyes widen, allowing her to absorb even more of their combined beauty. The more she devourers them with her eyes, the more she begins to realise that there's something more going on here… The two of them aren't being surrounded by a mysterious glow; they're being surrounded by their own power.

Sensing the amazement their power has stirred inside Serena, the twins smile together, pleased that their friend is impressed with them. Hopefully that'll make her impending decision easier, that he won't have to take her memories from her. That he won't have to take the only friends she's ever had away.

"Serena… Serena… Serena…" He gently called out to her, trying to catch her attention. "Please come closer, we've got so much to tell you"

His words carry themselves to her ears, pulling her sense of hearing back into gear. His words pull her towards them both, but she remains enthralled by the glory surrounding them both, unable to tear herself away from it all. The feeling that sent her into an eruption of affection for her first friend returns to her heart, stronger than ever.

By staring into the light surrounding him, she feels as though she's staring into his very soul, she's able to see who he truly is. Words cannot describe how quickly her affections for him are growing.

"This light isn't actually light, it's our Aura Serena, our very life essence. The energy we need to live" Lily whispered to her, somehow her words reach her ears, pulling her into them faster.

Without her telling them to, Serena's legs carry her to her friends and force her to sit behind them. Being so close to them both, she can clearly see their Aura, she can feel it. Red's feels so very warm, just like a flame, inspiring a fire inside her heart to burn ever brighter. In contrast, Lily's feels as though it is trying to reach out and touch her mind, to delve into her thoughts and seek out her deepest desires.

"What're you guy's doing? It's beautiful" She whispered. Before they can answer her, she reaches out towards them both, trying to catch the light flowing around them both.

Her petite hands rise ever closer to them both, their Aura seems to respond to her. The flames across his body leap from their source and dance around her hand, warming her young flesh before fading back to their source. The rose light climbs onto her arm, swimming across her skin up to her shoulder, fading before it can reach her mind.

After their Aura returns to them, the twins simultaneously lift their heads from the surface of the water, while slowly opening their eyes.

With their stances broken, their Aura returns to the depths of their bodies, taking with it the glows surrounding them both. Leaving nothing as a reminder of the power flowing through their young bodies.

With the glow gone, Serena's mind is freed from the enthralment it forced upon her.

"We're meditating Serena, or we were, we're done for today now. It allows us to focus our powers, bringing them to the surface and forcing our senses to grow sharper" Lily said, as she and Red began to turn around to face their friend, breaking their poses in the process.

"Meditating? What's that?" Serena asked with a curious smile across her face.

"It's when you relax your entire body, calming your mind as well as your emotions. It's easier to do it in a place where you feel relaxed, so we usually do it here. When we meditate, we're strengthening our powers, allowing them to grow stronger" He said. "It also makes our senses sharper and our bodies a little tougher. It's why we're so fast and strong"

"Dum dum's almost got it right; it's not meditating that does that to our bodies, it's our Aura. When its stronger, we get stronger" Lily amended.

A confused look falls across Serena's face. "What's Aura? I saw that light, you said that was your Aura, but what is it?"

Lily rolls her head towards her brother, while shrugging her shoulders, deflecting the question towards him instead. With a roll of his eyes and a light punch in his sister's shoulder, he thinks how to phrase this.

"I'll tell you what Master told us, Aura is the power that flows through every living creature, it's the single most powerful force in all of existence. It's also the life force that keeps us all alive, some call it energy, others strength, Aura has many different names. All living things have Aura, plants, Pokémon, humans, all living things. No matter how big or how small they are, everything has the most powerful force, living inside them"

Lily puts her hand across Red's face effectively silencing him. "Barely anyone uses their Aura properly though Serena, they've forgotten where their greatest powers come from. Our Master teaches us to control our Aura, to master it and make it bend to our will"

Red quickly pushes her hand away from his face, with a disgusted expression across his face. "Keep that thing away from me; I've seen where you put it"

The confusion falls from Serena's face, replaced by her previous look of amazement. "Wow… What does he teach you? What can it do?"

As Red is still disgusted from having his sister's hand in his face, Lily answers this question. "Aura can do absolutely anything Serena, so long as you know how to use it right. In theory, you could use it to grow a pair of wings and fly through the air. But no one's figured out how to do that yet, when they do though I'm goanna learn it. It'd be awesome to fly… Master teaches us how to control our Aura, at first he taught us about the Knights and what they do. Now he teaches us to bring our Aura to the surface, how to control it at will. When we can do that at will, he'll teach us how we can use it to fight"

"To… To fight?" Serena asked with a hint of fear. "Why… Why would you use it to fight?"

The innocent question stabs into both the twins, reminding them both of what Red must do. He hangs his head in shame, disgusted with himself for getting her caught up in all this. His sister turns to face him, she can't do this for him, if she does, their Master will simply take Serena's memory from her himself.

Red must give her the chance to decide her own fate, but before he can do so, he must tell her more about the Knights. "We can't put this off Red, you've gotta get it done. It's like ripping a Band-Aid off, it's better to just get it over with" Lily said comfortingly.

He nods his head back at her, he desperately doesn't want to do this, but his kind have always done what must be done. He won't disgrace the Knights by being a coward.

He looks his friend of the past few months dead in the eye, he doesn't notice, but a faint blush crawls across her face, dragging a slight smile with it. "Serena, this won't be easy for you to hear… Are you sure you want me to tell you?"

She silently nods her head, not wanting to break their moment by speaking.

"OK then… As I told you a while ago, me and my sister are Aura Knights. We are part of an order even older than humans themselves… I won't go into details now, but I'll say this much. Our purpose remains as clear as the day the order was born. To do what must be done" His voice is deadly serious, leaving no room for fun or jokes.

"Our jobs are rarely pleasant, often requiring sacrifice on our part, but someone has to do it… If not us, then who?" Lily said, to try and ease the burned on her brother.

"We have many enemies, but the worst ones, the ones who won't hesitate to kill anyone who stand in their way… Are the Paladins of Fear" He said coldly. "They are our opposites, in every possible way they oppose us. We do what must be done, to keep them from reaching their dark ambitions"

"Paladins of Fear? What're they?" Serena asked with confusion across her face.

He takes a breath, thinking about the best way to phrase this. He doesn't want to tell her too much, not yet. She'll need to time to absorb this information, he just needs to tell her the basics, just enough to keep her safe from their evil.

"It'll take too long to explain now Serena, there's a lot more we need to do today. For now just know that they use powers similar to ours, but theirs come from the evil in the world, theirs come from the Darkness… Never, no matter what, tell anyone our name. If a Paladin hears the name Aura Knights, they'll slaughter anyone who said or heard it"

The blood begins to drain from her young face, as the gravity of his words sets in. There're people out there who'll kill you for saying a name? That's horrible.

"That's why Master was so angry with me for telling you… I've put you in a lot of danger now…" His voice grows heavy, as a lump forms in his throat and his eyes begin to hurt. "Now, I have to do something even worse…"

In an instant, the gravity of his words vanishes from young Serena's mind. Seeing him with the beginnings of tears in his eyes forces the previous shock from her, replaced by a sinkhole in her heart.

He forces his eyes to shut, in an attempt to try and stop the building tears from falling freely. "Because I've put you so much danger Serena… Master gave me a choice. Either your memories of the Knights are erased, along with your memories of us… Or you'll have to join us, you'll have to become a Knight yourself" His voice is strained from the pent up emotion in his throat.

She barely hears him; the sight of the pooling tears in his eyes has her attention fixed. "Don't cry… You'll make me cry" She said with a cracking voice, as her own eyes filled with tears.

"Master told me I had to choose your fate, but I couldn't do it. I can't decide what happens to you. Only you can decide your own destiny… So I have to ask you, do you want me to take away your memories, or do you want to join us?" He asked with a cracking voice.

This time Serena hears him clearly, she hears every word of it.

She must choose between losing the only friends she's ever known, and joining an order she knows virtually nothing about? How? How can she be expected to make a choice like that?

When they first met, she was honestly scared of him, just like she was with everyone else she didn't know. The same was true for Lily, but it was easier since she already had Red by her side, his support gave her the confidence to come out of her shy shell, even though it was just a little, it allowed her to make another friend… Without him, without them, she'll be back to the way she was before. Shy, scared and… Lonely.

He risked so much to help her, at the time she had no idea just what he was risking for her, now she knows he risked life and limb to help her. He was completely selfless and saved her; he could have done any number of things differently and still gotten her back to safety. But he didn't, he made sure she'd be OK by using his Aura and some berries to heal her, knowing what could happen to him if he did, he still went on and did it for her.

Just thinking about what he did for her sends her heart into an overdrive of beating. Her cheeks flood with blood, her eyes sparkle and shimmer, her face is hit with a loving smile. Her knight in shining armour saved her; he risked everything to save her. How can she have the memory of him taken away? How can she lose the boy who stole her heart?

But at the same time, how can she join an order she knows nothing about? For all she knows they could be really bad people.

But, surely Red and Lily wouldn't be part of something bad. They're both so nice, so kind. They'd never join something bad, so the Knights must be good guys… Right?

Deciding that she needs to know more, she turns to Lily. "I… I don't want to lose you guys, but I need to know do the Knights do? You're not bad guys are you?"

The eyes of both her friends open wide; any traces of tears quickly fade into their distant memories. How could they have forgotten to tell her that? They forgot the most important detail, the part that makes them special.

Young Lily shakes her head. "No we're not bad guys… We, we sometimes have to do bad things, but only to make things better. Ugh, how can I explain this?" She asked herself, as she gazed up at the clearing skies above.

"We work in the dark, to serve the light. We sometimes have to do bad things, to let good things happen… One act of evil can cause a thousand acts of kindness and generosity" Red said with a calm tone. "What is worse? Killing a bad person, to stop them from doing more evil in this world. Or letting them live, allowing them to continue hurting people, letting them cause more pain and suffering. What is worse?"

Both of the girls stare at him briefly, Lily wasn't going to put it so bluntly as that, but the message couldn't be made clearer. Sometimes evil can only be stopped with more evil.

"It's not always a pleasant job Serena, but someone has to do it" He concluded.

Serena turns to Lily, clearly wanting to know more, seeking answers to her unasked questions.

With a grimace on her face, Lily tries to put this discussion to an end. "The gods may have created our world, but we can't rely on them to protect it. That duty falls to us, we are all that keeps the world from… Well I'll leave that for another day"

The questions fade from Serena's mind, forced out by the amazement filling her mind. She never imagined that her friends could be part of something like that; she thought the Knights were just a group of people who learned to use their powers. But now, it seems there is a lot more to it.

"So… You guys fight bad people, serve the gods, and try to make things better? Is that basically what you guys do?" She asked with a hint of confusion. "And when you say the gods, you mean Mew and Arceus right?"

Lily's lips threaten to part, to release the laughter that's trying to break through and fill the world. Her hands clamp down to try and stop her laughter from escaping. While she struggles not to laugh, her brother sighs with a heavy face palm. "It's not funny Lily… Serena, that's a little bit of what we do. I don't really wanna tell you it all yet though, when we heard it the first time, it gave us both nightmares… I'll tell you later, if that's what you choose" He said with a hollow and empty voice.

His sister manages to force down her laughter, just enough to speak a little. "You're making us sound like superheroes! Hehehehehehe!" She continues to laugh for a moment, then forces herself to answer her second question. "Yeah, we serve Mew and Arceus, there's a story we can tell you later, it'll explain everything about us… So, do you wanna be like us?"

The innocent question shatters their momentary joy, forcing the weight of the decision back onto Serena's shoulders. Her decision will directly affect not just her own life, but the lives of her friends as well.

How can she make such an important decision so quickly? How can she make such a decision in the first place? She's just a kid, a seven year old girl. She shouldn't have to make decisions like this, it's not fair!

"Serena…" Red whispered gently. "How about we show you what we can do? It might help you a bit"

The girl with the honey blonde hair lifts her eyes to look at her friends, revealing her swelling tears. She slowly nods her head; maybe it'll make things easier for her to see the abilities first hand.

Lily quickly takes off her pink hoodie, revealing her plain white t-shirt underneath. With disinterest, she drops her hoodie to the side and then takes her meditative pose.

Both of the other children focus their attention onto her, watching her form carefully, looking for subtle changes in her body. After a moment, her body begins to change, much like Red did when he used his powers before. Sweat rolls down her forehead; she looks to be under strain.

With her mind focused on the task at hand, the process of drawing out her Aura becomes slightly easier. Her young body begins to grow stronger; her muscle tone builds more and more with each passing second, reaching the strength and size of the average teenager, which is quite strong for a child.

Her muscles finally stop growing, having reached their limit for her young body. Her short blonde hair begins to flow around her head, but due to the short length, it's difficult to see the full effects.

Serena's interest spikes through the roof, her eyes widen and shine in astonishment. She could learn to do this? While this isn't as impressive as seeing their Aura directly, it's still pretty cool.

Lily takes a single calming breath, which breaks the cycle of sweat flowing down her flesh. The grass surrounding her begins to rustle, ripples spread across the surface of the pond, as though a gentle breeze is flowing through the garden. Slowly her Aura begins to flow through her, coming to the surface in the form of a rose pink hue, which surrounds her entire body. She slowly lifts her head up and opens her eyes, revealing the change in their pigment.

Her irises have turned from sparkling emerald green, to a glowing hot pink. They seem to radiate power, immense power.

She raises both her hands from her sides, holding them out before her with open palms facing the sky. The hue surrounding her flows across her body and into her hands, while it still surrounds her, it shines brighter in her hands.

The astonished Serena leans forwards to take a closer look, pressing her hands into the grass beneath to steady herself. Her eyes widen as she sees something form in Lily's palms. "Wow…" She whispered.

The hue surrounding Lily's hands syphons off, forming an opaque bubble an inch above her palms. It's no bigger than a golf ball; the edges of it are rose pink while the centre remains clear. After a moment, the bubble begins to change again. The centre turns pure white, while the colour from the edges seeps into it, growing fainter the further in it goes. It looks just like an Aura Sphere attack, only the colour is the same as Lily's Aura, the resemblance is uncanny.

The bubble doesn't last for long though, no more than a few seconds, the moment in returns from where it came, Lily's hands drop down to the earth to stop herself from collapsing. Her muscles quickly return to their normal form, the hue surrounding her vanishes from sight, as her Aura returns to the depths of her body. Her eyes quickly return to their normal emerald green. The grass and water quickly return to the way they were. While she is racked with fatigue, there is an unrivalled sense of pride filling her.

"What was that?" Serena asked with an astonished tone, as she sat back up.

While Lily pulls her hoodie back on, Red takes the role of the teacher, as he answers her question. "That was an Aura Orb, the most basic form of Aura there is. It's just a small portion of Aura that is separated from the whole, it's not very powerful, but it has a variety of uses"

"Now Dum dum here will show you how _he_ does it, but he's not as good as me though" Lily said with pride. Despite her aching muscles, her pride at being able to show off her power forces a smile onto her lips.

He quickly pulls off his jacket, revealing his black tank top to the world. Like his sister did moments ago, he too takes a meditative pose. After a moment, his muscles begin to grow and strengthen like hers did; only his grow stronger than hers did. His shirt begins to tighten against his flesh, giving the world a clear view of his building muscle mass.

Serena's cheeks burn brightly, as she stares at him, in awe of his abilities.

Like they did when Lily did this, the grass and water begin to act up once again. He lifts his right hand up, with an open palm facing the sky. Unlike his sister, he only uses his right hand. Before long a bright red hue begins to leak from his body, almost the same as Lily's was, but his doesn't seem to be as bright as hers was.

His muscles stop expanding after a moment, as his hair begins to rustle, as though a powerful wind is blowing through it in all directions.

The hue once again focuses into his hand, then syphons off to rise an inch above his palm. Unlike when Lily did it though, the resulting bubble is only the size of a pea and the colour resembles his own Aura, being bright red. The Orb continues to grow in his palm, swelling up to the size of a tennis ball, before finally stabilizing.

This time Serena does more than just sit and stare, she reaches forwards to touch the Orb. Her small and slender finger pass straight threw it, but she feels warmth flowing through the Aura, as she would if she touched him directly. Perhaps the Orb is an extension of his body, maybe Aura is just another part of a person… Well they did say it's the life force that flows through them, so it would make sense that it is part of them.

After a moment, Serena pulls her hand away and stares into the Orb with sparkling eyes. While the Orb Lily made was impressive, this one sends her heart into palpitations, making her cheeks burn brightly… It's astonishing.

He lifts his head up to lock eyes with his friend; she stares back at him. His eyes have lost their normal electric blue colouration, giving way to the blood red glow that has swallowed them. The sight of the blood like colour flowing through his eyes sends shivers down her spine, bringing with it a slight sense of intimidation.

His body begins to show signs of fatigue, sweat falls from his flesh and onto the grass with a light splash. He takes a deep breath, then releases the power in his hands. The Orb fades from his palm, taking with it the glow surrounding him and his eyes. His muscles return to their normal strength and form, as does his hair, the grass and water also return to normal.

"Impressed?" He asked with a prideful grin. He pulls his jacket back on and takes a few breathes to help restore his strength.

The child with the weight of a life changing decision on her shoulders remains enthralled by the sight and feeling of the powers that were just shown to her, so much so that she can't answer him. She just keeps staring at both of the twins, unable to form words in her mouth to answer.

Deciding to buy her brother a little time to recuperate, Lily clicks her fingers a few times to catch Serena's attention. "Dum dum needs a minute to get his strength back, so we might as well talk a little… Anything you want to know?"

While there are many questions circulating through Serena's mind, there are a few that stand out the most to her. "Umm… Well yeah, you keep talking about your Master, but I don't even know his name… Can you tell me?"

Lily thinks on this for a moment, while she does she scratches her chin lightly. "Well Master always said never to tell Mom his name, so did Gallade, but they never said anything about friends… Hehehehehe" She thought with a devilish grin across her face.

"His name's Luke, for some reason he's always wearing a heavy black cloak that hides his face. His partner Pokémon's a Gallade, guy's got a serious attitude problem, I mean _really_ bad. Treats Red like shit" She said with a hint of resentment. "Oh, by the way Mom knows about our powers to, so… You don't have to worry about that. Apparently Dad's a Knight too"

* * *

After several minutes of talking, Serena's learned quite a bit about the Ketchum family. The Mr Mime she spotted inside their house is their Mom's Pokémon, named Mimey.

Something else she learned is that their Dad walked out on them when they were babies. Apparently he left shortly after they were born without even saying goodbye, one morning Delia woke up and found he was gone… Ever since that horrible day none of them have seen him, heard from him, or even know where he is. He just vanished.

All the twins know about him is that he's a Knight like them; they suspect that's why he left them. He probably didn't want to be tied down with a wife and kids; he must have wanted a life of thrill and adventure. Regardless of his reasons, he's dead to them both.

She also found out that Delia discovered their training when she looked out into the garden and saw Red's Aura surrounding him… She thought he was on fire. After they explained their training to her, without revealing their Master's name, she revealed the fact about their Dad being one as well.

Now Red has recovered and is ready to show her what else they can do with their powers, to do so he has turned around to face the pond once again. She's sitting cross legged beside him, where Lily was previously, his sister now stands behind them both watching the clouds up in the sky. There're a few Pidgey's flying through the skies, some are being led by a Pidgeotto to form a flock.

Serena sits beside her crush; her cheeks are filled to the bursting point with blood, as Red holds her left hand in his right. Both of them are sitting in a meditative pose, Serena hasn't got the perfect form, but she's managed to get pretty close to it.

The two of them have been sitting like this for a few minutes now, both of them are feeling strangely calm, even though his touch is sending her heart into overdrive; she still feels some degree of calmness.

"Forget what you see… What do you feel?" He whispered, his voice barely audible.

Her mind feels calm, she feels calmer than she's ever been before in her entire life. The weight of her decision seems to be lifted from her shoulders, she feels as though there is nothing in the world but her and her crush… However, there is the soothing sound of her own heartbeat.

"My heart" She whispered back.

A faint smile graces his lips, she is ready now.

"Good…" He whispered back. "I'm going to show you my personal favourite ability with Aura, creating an Aura Connection between two living souls. It allows those who share the Connection to feel what the other feels, it allows them to see who the other truly is… The process involves the souls sharing their Aura, giving each other a part of themselves… When this is done, they each adopt aspects from the other. While nothing physical will change about them, they will be different"

"When you say they'll be different, what do you mean?" She whispered back to him.

"Their personalities… If I were to open a Connection with a Pokémon, then that Pokémon would take on a portion of my Aura. In the process they'd take on a bit of my personality. They might take on my stubborn streak, my prideful personality… My-" His whispering are interrupted by Lily.

"Your tendency to hog the bathroom in the morning. The fact that you don't chew your food, you just stick your face in it and swallow. Or maybe they'd get _really_ lucky and get your dumb ass brain power" Lily said with a playful grin across her face.

"Yeah… That poor Pokémon could get anything about my personality, while it'd still remain within me, they'd take it on as well" He finished.

"I'd say it's more like your bad habits rub off on 'em. But hey they could get lucky, they might skip that part" Lily added. "I'm pretty sure you're about to tell me to shut the fuck up and let you finish, so I'll save you the trouble… I'll be quiet"

He takes a calming breath, to quell the pang of anger running through him. Emotions must be kept in check while meditating; they could easily break the delicate balance and force him to restart the process again.

"Moving on… When a trainer opens a Connection with their Pokémon, the Pokémon will get stronger faster; their skills will grow much quicker and… You'll be able to understand what that Pokémon is saying, as if they're speaking the same language as us" He whispered with a calmer tone.

A question forms in her mind, but falls from her lips before she tells it to. "Can two people form a Connection?" She whispered back.

"Yes, yes they can… It's what I'm going to do between us, although it'll only be a temporary one, just to show you the world of Aura. But back to your question, in order for two people to meld their Auras together, they must be good friends… Or something more... A normal Connection lasts for a lifetime, unless one side wants it to end, but even then it can be reopened at any time"

A faint smile fills her young face, the idea of opening a Connection with Red forces her heart to beat even harder, it feels like it'll burst out of her chest and declare undying love for her crush at any moment. "Show me…" She breathed back.

He gently nods his head, then begins the process of opening the Connection. Flowing his Aura through his arm and into his hand, the power moving through his limb reaches out to Serena's Aura, knocking on the door to her power and asking it to come out to meet it.

A weak red hue surrounds his hand, which is quickly greeted by a weak clear aqua blue hue shinning from Serena's hand.

In that moment, their Aura's mix together to form a tiny purple galaxy in their palms. She has to resist the urge to rip her eyes open, as the feeling of Red being with her, not next to her, _truly_ with her… As though he is a part of her now, flows through her.

She was expecting to see his life flash before her eyes, but it doesn't. Instead she feels his pride of being a Knight, to know that he is part of something bigger than himself, that he is part of something that works to keep innocent people safe… To know that he makes a sacrifice, so that others don't have to. It's a sense of pride that he would trade for nothing else.

"Feel what I feel… See what I see… Hear what I hear… Now Serena, see the world through the eyes of Aura" He breathed out.

The moment these words pass from his lips, his Aura flows out all around them, exploring the garden for him. His sense of hearing grows far sharper; he can hear both his Mom and Mimey muttering death threats to the stain Lily left on the carpet. His sense of smell picks up the scents of the flowers around them both, they smell so sweet. Some smell nicer than others, but he's not really worried about that right now.

His heightened senses pass through his Connection to Serena, allowing her to experience the world of beauty that she was blind to.

"See without your eyes… See through my Aura" He whispered.

They can both see the world around them perfectly. Inanimate objects appear pitch black, but are defined by the bright red lines surrounding their edges. These outlines allow them to see the fence surrounding them all, while they cannot make out details, they can still see it's there.

Living things though, they're very different. The flowers catch their eye, while they are opaque, they can still be clearly seen. Each one has its own red outline, but is filled by their Aura, giving them the ability to see their details. Each flower species has its own unique colour, some are white, others are blue. There is some green in the mixture; the stream of colour is made more complex by purple spots amidst its flow. There is also the occasional black patch, which remain hidden behind the rainbow of colour, these aren't actually flowers but weeds that must be pulled out before they drain the life from the flowers.

"Mom and Mimey aren't going to like that…" He thought with a hint of fear.

At first young Serena is awe struck by the beauty before her, the whole world seems like a sparkling jewel that has been plucked from the deepest depths of the world. Then cut by a master, set into a purest of metal and shaped to form an engagement ring. It seems so perfect to her.

"This is called Aura Vision Serena; you look around the world without using your eyes. Your Aura can see for you, this way, even if you go blind, you can still see the world around you" He whispered, his voice as calm as before.

"This… This is amazing… I love it, so much" She whispered in awe.

His smile grows slightly, he can feel the joy flowing through her, she's amazed by the world that she was blind to. "A normal Connection isn't this intense Serena, as it's only a temporary one, I increased its power. This way you get to feel what I feel first hand, normally you'd only be able to tell how I feel about all this… I'm glad you like it"

A question forms in her young and innocent mind, before she has the chance to ask it though, he answers it for her.

"This Connection will only last for as long as we're touching, such a strong Connection cannot be maintained for long… It's normally used to begin training, to show Apprentices the world they will be able to experience, but I'm bending the rules slightly" He said with a cheeky grin.

A cheeky grin falls across her own face, as the same rush of breaking the rules flows over her as it does him. "Can… Can you show me my Aura now? Please?"

He answers her request by shifting the focus of his Aura from the flowers to them both, in a third person view. They can both see themselves; it's so strange to see their own backs like this.

Their joint view focuses on her Aura, it's a perfectly clear aqua blue, it's flowing through her outline the way a river flows. Her Aura looks just like a steady stream of water, as though her body is a waterfall and her Aura is the water.

The sight of Red's Aura catches her eye; his bright red fire like Aura is burning its way up his body, just like it did when she first saw him today. Unlike her Aura, his is flowing out of his outline. Somehow she knows why this is, he has pushed himself past his limitations, he has taken the first steps to controlling his Aura.

Despite the clear difference in their powers, she can't help but feel that her own Aura is far more beautiful that his is. Little does she know, but she's not the one feeling this, she's picking up on his thoughts. Just as he did with her question.

The two of them just sit there for a few minutes, watching their Aura's flow through them both and pool together in their hands, to form the miniature purple galaxy. Before long something begins to change, Serena's Aura is growing stronger.

She can feel her Aura flowing through her; she can feel her body getting stronger, her muscles tightening against her skin. But it also brings with it an unpleasant sensation. Her body feels as though she's run into a wall of solid steel. While there is no pain, the feeling of numbness still swallows her.

A light squeeze of her hand sends waves of comfort through their Connection, reminding her that her friend is beside her, helping her, guiding her as she explores this new world.

"It's OK Serena, I'm here with you. Just take control, just tell your power that you are in control, tell it _you_ are the Master of it" His voice is firm, but also gentle. "A wild fire destroys everything in its path; your power will do the same. Unless you say no. Unless you force it to bend to you will. Don't think you can do this, _know_ you will"

Suddenly, it all becomes clear to her. This power is a part of her, an extension of her body. She just needs to control it; the way she does her hands. There's no difference, it's just another part of her.

Within seconds she has control over the power flowing through her, it no longer runs wild through her, no longer threatens to consume her. Her Aura now flows through her body, as well as outside her outline, but it is under her control.

For the first time in her young life, she feels so alive. Never before has she been so aware that she is alive, that she is a miracle, that every moment of her life is a gift from the gods. All traces of her previous fears of meeting new people, of being away from her comfort zone, of herself are gone. She feels like she can do absolutely anything she wants to, the world is at her feet and she can reach out and touch it.

This power, these feelings, it's like they've been here the entire time, waiting for her to reach out and touch their sterling surface.

"I… I know what I want to do Red… I want to be a Knight" She whispered with a perfectly calm tone.

A broad smile across his lips, as waves of relief, joy and unrestrained happiness flow through to her. Telling her that those words mean more to him than she could possibly have imagined.

He's not the only one who's happy though, his twin sister also feels indescribably happiness at hearing those words. Tears of joy quickly fill her eyes, threatening to break free and cleanse her cheeks with their salty touch. She sprints back inside the house, happier than she thought she could be after today, searching for a pen and paper. There's something Serena'll need to know.

The two friends continue to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the world through their enhanced senses, taking in the natural beauty that lies all around them. They sit there for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company and the world around them.

"I'm sorry, but everything that has a beginning, has an end… This meditation must now meet its end" He breathed out with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Slowly the colours drain from the world around them, taking with them the sights, smells and sounds, leaving them both with the crushing darkness that comes with their eyes being shut. As the last of the colour drains away, he releases his hold over his friend's hand, severing their Connection as he does.

"Serena, I promise to teach you our ways… Once I master my own powers, I'll teach you to do the same. I won't make a decent teacher if I can't do it myself right?" He asked with a confident smirk.

She smiles back at him, her eyes wide from the shock of the flood of feelings flowing through her. "That… That was amazing Red"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO IT!"

The desperate pleas of the blonde haired Ketchum catch the attention of the two remaining children in the garden, they turn on the spot to see Lily running towards them with a piece of paper in her hands, with an angry Delia and Mimey poking their heads out of the doorway.

"YOUNG LADY GET YOU BUTT BACK IN HERE NOW AND CLEAN THIS MESS YOU MADE!" Delia called out angrily.

Red simply raises an eyebrow at the scene before him. "The fuck did you do?"

His sister quickly plops herself down on the ground before them both, looking slightly scared as she does. "You don't want to know" She said with a hint of fear. "It's not pretty… And it'll take hours to clean it up, Mom's goanna kill me later"

Both her friend and brother give her amused smiles and a bout of chuckling and giggles. Once they finish laughing at her misfortune, she shows them what she went inside to get.

A simple piece of paper, with a drawing across its surface. The drawing's certainly no work of art; it's likely that Lily hastily drew it inside before running back out. It is a simple circle with a line through it from top to bottom, the left half contain several smaller circles, while the right half holds flame like movements across its surface. It's the same symbol that is stitched across Luke's traveling cloak, only drawn terribly.

"What is it?" Serena asked with keen interest.

With a proud grin on her face, Lily places the paper down and points to her drawing. "It's our symbol Serena, the symbol of the Aura Knights. Our kind wears this, so our brothers and sisters know we're part of the same order"

"It kinda looks like the moon and the sun… Only half of each" Serena said with a confused tone.

"It's more than that Serena. It holds many meanings, every Knight looks at it in a different way. To some, it is a representation of the delicate balance of life" He said. "The circle represents our world, now this world requires both good and evil to be present, so that they can both exist… Without good, there can be no evil. Without evil, how can good exist?"

"The line represents the division of these forces, the moon is a representation of the evil, while the sun is the good" Lily added. "To me though, this has another meaning… The sun represents Arceus, who craved light in the void. While the moon is Mew, whose eyes were the inspiration for the moon in the night sky. Both of them were necessary for our world to be born, at the same time this can be said about the good and evil thing. One cannot exist without the other… Both are needed"

"Oh… It kinda looks like something else" Serena said. "It looks like the moon is the Paladins, and you guys are the sun… You're both necessary to form the balance"

Both Lily and Red look at her in surprise, neither of them was expecting her to find a meaning in the symbol so quickly, it took them quite a while to figure it out. Strange.

" _Well, that's certainly a new one. I've never heard of someone seeing our symbol like that, it's a nice change"_ A new voice chimed.

Both the twins lift their attention from their friend, looking around for the source of the voice with eager smiles across their young faces. In an instant, the symbol is forgotten about.

Before today this new voice would have sent fear throughout Serena's soul, but that was before Red opened her eyes to the world around her, now all that she feels from it is curiosity. Just who said that?

All three of them stand up and look around for the source of the voice that has captured their attentions, the garden is clear, other than them there is no one else here.

A blur of blue leaps from the roof of the building before them, doing a frontward flip in the air as it does, before landing a few feet away from them all. Instantly Serena recognises it as the mystery Pokémon she saw in the pictures, only it looks even older than it did before.

The Pokémon is quite short, even compared to them, only standing 4 feet tall. There are four black appendages hanging from its head, the head itself looks like that of a jackal. The torso is covered by cream coloured fur, with a spike poking through the centre of the chest. Its shoulders have black bands across them, dividing the cream fur from the blue. Both its arms are long and don't seem to have elbow joints, despite the distinctive bend where said joint should be. The fur covering these limbs is deep blue, but its paws are black and have a spike protruding from their backs. Its thighs are very thick with blue fur covering them; they abruptly thin down into thin black legs. It stands on its toes, yet doesn't seem to be struggling to do so. Its head have large pointed blue ears, which break through the black fur covering its head and snout. Its piercing red eyes seem to pierce the surface of your eyes and explore the depths of your soul. Finally, it has a long tail poking out from the base of its spine, like most of its body; the tail is covered in blue fur.

This Pokémon's face is covered in wrinkles, showing its age off to the world. Its fur is ruffled in various places, as though there are scars beneath its surface.

From the elbow area down, steel plates cover its arms. When the steel reaches its paws, it changes. Hinges allow the steel to cover its paws, without restricting their movement. A small hole across the surface of its paw plates allow its spikes to poke through.

There looks to be an engraving across these gauntlets, while they are well worn, the symbol of the Knights can just about be seen. The right gauntlet holds something else, a small orange stone with a blue and red flame in its centre, is embedded into the steel.

The Pokémon smiles at both the twins, before turning his attention to Serena. _"Hello there, my name's Lucario. It's a pleasure to meet you in person Serena"_ He said with a kind tone, before turning his attention to the twins. _"Well don't I get a hug?"_

Instantly both the twins pounce on him, hugging him from either side. "GRAMPA!" They both cried out with broad smiles. "We missed you _so_ much!"

He wraps an arm around each of them affectionately. _"You didn't think I'd leave you two for long did you? If I did that then you'd end up killing each other"_ He said playfully with a broad smile across his face.

Confusion fills Serena; did they just call him Grampa? How can she understand him? If he's a Pokémon, shouldn't he just be saying his name over and over again?

As these questions form in her young mind, the stone embedded into his armour catches her eye, its sparkling beautifully in the sunlight.

After a moment, the sweet family reunion ends as the twins release their Grampa and he hesitantly lets them go as well. He notices that the stone in his armour has caught Serena's attention; he smiles warmly at her and presses his left paw near the focus of her attention. _"Are you curious?"_

"What is it? It's so beautiful… How can I understand you? Why'd they both call you Grampa?" Serena asked, without any trace of fear in her voice.

The aging Pokémon chuckles slightly at her enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge. _"Such curiosity, it's nice to see a hunger for knowledge in youth, it sets you for the rest of your life… First of all, haven't you noticed? My mouth isn't moving"_

She didn't really pay much attention to it before, but now he's pointed it out to her, she realises his lips haven't moved at all since she first saw him. How can she hear him if his lips aren't moving? She tries to speak with her own lips shut, but all she can do is make muffled sounds.

" _Since these two have already told you about Aura, and you have chosen to take on a life like ours, I can cut out a lot of explanation for you. I'm simply using my Aura to broadcast my thoughts to you, you may know it as telepathy"_ He said. _"Psychic Pokémon can do it with their minds, but the rest of us have to learn to use our Aura to do it"_

"You can either do it like Grampa is, or you can do it…" Red said, but stopped half way through. "(Like this)"

Hearing her crush's voice inside her head fills young Serena with confusion, what was that?

"I think Dum dum just sent you an Aura Message, it's a way of communicating short distance. It's basically like talking, but you hear it in your head so others around you can't hear" Lily confirmed.

"So… It's like sending your voice through your Aura?" Serena asked with only a hint of confusion.

With a gentle nod of his head, Lucario answers her question. _"That's it exactly young one. I first learnt how to do it so I could communicate with the world around me, you have no idea just how frustrating it is to be trying to give someone a piece of your mind, and all they hear is annoyed grunts, growls and your own name over and over again"_ He finishes with a light chuckle.

Lily surprises him by latching onto him with a second tight hug. "We call him Grampa because he was our Grampa's Pokémon, before he died… But Grampa's been just our Grampa, so that makes him our Grampa" She nuzzles her cheek against his fur affectionately. "Who cares he's a Pokémon? Blood doesn't mean jack shit, he's our Grampa and we love him"

He hugs her back, with tears of you in the corners of his eyes at her kind words. _"And I love you both to… Don't use bad words Lily, it's not lady like"_ He lightly scolded.

Serena cups her hands together at the side of her head. "Aww, that's so sweet…" She chimed.

After a moment, Lily and her Grampa separate and he turns his attention back to their guest. _"What was your other question? What's the stone on my arm? I think that's what it was, it's my Mega Stone"_ He said while pointing towards the stone on his arm. _"It's called Lucarionite"_

She gives him a slightly confused look, before taking a closer look at the stone on his arm. "What's a Mega Stone?"

" _Do you know about Mega Evolution?"_ She shakes her head. _"It's a temporary transformation, which works similarly to regular evolution. However there are some key differences. Mega evolution isn't permanent; it doesn't last for very long. Normal evolution increases our power, changes the way we look and affects our personalities. While Mega Evolution only changes the way we look and increases our power"_

Her eyes sparkle with excitement once again. "That sounds awesome, could you show me please?"

He gives her a slightly disappointed frown, before shaking his head. _"I'm afraid it isn't that easy. There are several requirements that must be met first"_

Disappointment crawls across her face, she pouts in this new emotion for a moment, before looking back at him with interest. _"First my Master needs a stone of his own; it's similar to mine, but slightly different. His would be called a Key Stone. A strong bond is required between both myself and my Master, strong enough that the two of us can synch together in battle, to the point where we feel each other's pain and fatigue… Our minds become one, at least while we're battling. Finally… I would need a Master; I lost mine around six years ago now. There's no way I can ever replace him, so I will never Mega Evolve again… We were together for seventy years, how can you replace someone you were with for so long?"_

Guilt stabs into her gut, by asking an innocent question, she's inadvertently dragged up the past. "I'm sorry Lucario; I didn't mean to make you feel bad"

Sensing the guilt building up inside her, Lucario walks up to her, surprisingly they're a similar height. He gently places his paws across her shoulders and looks her dead in the eye.

" _Don't be upset young one and don't feel guilty. You didn't mean to cause harm, and you didn't. I trust you saw the picture inside, the one by the sliding doors… That man was my Master; he had that picture taken a month before he passed on… He was a great man. Did you know he hatched me from my egg? I was his first Pokémon, given to him to be his lifelong brother… He was like a father to me, but he was more like my older brother. When we battled together, we were unbeatable… The first Pokémon he caught in the wild was a Charmander, when he evolved into a Charizard… Well let's just say I still can't handle flying because of it. Oh look at me, I sound like an old man telling his Grandchildren his old war stories"_

She smiles back at him. "It's OK, I like it… My Grampa never tells me any stories; he says I'm too young for them"

He continues to beam at her, but he removes his paws from her young shoulders. _"Oh I could talk about Master for days… He always hated me talking about him; he said I made him sound grander than he was. But he was a great man"_

" _(To be honest with you, I see so much of him in Red; he even looks a lot like Master when he was young… Don't tell him though, he's got a big enough head as it is)"_ He said via Message with a wink.

Both of them laugh a little, as he goes back to Lily's side and she turns her attention back to her crush.

The two children begin chatting about how Lucario are Aura Pokémon, about how they can use it in ways other Pokémon can't. They can use it the same way as humans can, some believe that they're the ones who first taught humans to use their Aura.

The aging Lucario gives his Granddaughter a sly smirk. _"(Can we talk for a moment please?)"_

She nods her head subtly. "(If this about what happened inside, I swear to Mew I'm goanna clean it up later… When Mom calms down a little)"

He chuckles at her while shaking his head subtly, so as not to alert the others to their conversation. _"(No no no, I'm not worried about that… What I'm noticing is that Serena here has quite strong feelings for our Red; tell me, has she given him any hints at all? Or is my age playing tricks on me?)"_

She smirks slyly back at him, while nodding subtly. "(She's been dropping hints like crazy Grampa, 'specially at camp. I think he likes her too, since he revealed us to her without even thinking about it… He's just too stupid to realise it)"

He raises an eyebrow back at her, asking her if that's true. She nods back at him, confirming what she said to be true. _"(I see, I wondered why she was here and why he was teaching her… He's even more like Master than I thought he was, it took him years to realise he loved his mate, even then he was so dense he didn't realise she loved him back… Despite her numerous attempts to garner his affections. It was so funny, eventually we told him, his face was priceless)"_

"What lies is Butt for brains telling you Grampa?!"

Both Lucario and Lily cease their communications through Message and turns to face both Red and Serena, who are both standing close to them with crossed arms. They were so absorbed by their own conversation, that they didn't notice them standing there.

Ever the cool and collected elder, Lucario simply smiles back at his Grandson. _"I was asking how Serena here found out about us…"_

Red sucks on his lip nervously, expecting a lecture on how he should never have betrayed their secrets like that, but instead he is met with a question that punches him in the gut.

" _Since you have told her about the order, I assume you've informed her about… Your… Problem"_ Lucario said with a gentle tone.

At the mention of said 'problem', Red's body visibly tenses up, fear swells in his eyes and the blood drains from his face. A similar thing happens to his sister, in addition to his symptoms though; a cold sweat runs down her face.

These oddities don't go unnoticed; Serena sees these changes in them both. What could be so bad that it terrifies both her friends?

Knowing that her brother won't talk about this easily, Lily decides to grant him some mercy and answer for him. "No Grampa, we haven't got around to that yet… You have to understand it's not the easiest thing for us to tell people"

Serena turns to Red, hurt clearly written across her young face. "What haven't you told me Red?"

He can only turn away from her, as his fear swallows him so completely that his body begins to tremble at the thought of having to tell her.

Lucario sighs gently, while rubbing temples in frustration. Both for the fact that he can't help his Grandson with this, and by the fact that Red's letting his fear control his life. _"Red, she deserves to know the truth… We can leave if it makes it easier for you, but this must be done"_

Red's eyes lock onto the suddenly interesting grass between his toes; shame fills his face and engraves itself across his eyes. "Yeah… I know it does…" He muttered. He lifts his gaze to face his friend, but he can't bring himself to look her in the eye. "Serena… I haven't lied to you, but I've not told you the whole truth… I'm… I'm not normal"

Acting on the instinct to comfort him, she snatches his hand in her own, sending a blush across both their faces. "You can tell me Red… I'll listen" She said gently.

Lucario turns to his Granddaughter, nodding his head towards their home as he does. _"Come on, I'll help you clean it up"_

With that, the two of them make their way back inside the walls of their home, leaving both the terrified Red and confused Serena alone.

* * *

Both Red and Serena sit before the pond once again, staring into the shimmering surface of the water. They sit by its side for several minutes, just listening to the sound of the water flowing against itself. He uses this time to summon his courage, to ready himself for the impending pain of loss.

He's just avoided losing his close friend, but now he could lose her forever…

Without lifting his gaze from the surface of the pond, he speaks. "I'm not like other guys…" Is all he's able to whisper, before his reflection catches his attention.

"Am I looking at me? Or is that thing there the animal?... Where does it end and I begin?" He thought. "A horrific creature, born from the darkness in this world. A creature that lives only to cause pain and kill. An abomination that has no place in this world… An animal… Where does that thing end and I begin?"

"Are you OK Red?" His closest friend asked.

He slowly shakes his head, still unable to look her in the eye. "No… No I'm not. I can't remember the last time when I was OK" His voice is dripping with depression.

"But… You've been OK all day. Just a little while ago we were happy, you showed me how beautiful the world is when you look at it through Aura… You promised to train me… Don't you remember?"

He slowly nods his head to acknowledge her, but continues to study and analyse his reflection. Slowly, subtle changes are affecting his reflection, distorting it to the point where he doesn't even recognise it. Then in the blink of an eye, it returns to the way it was before.

He releases a heavy sigh, then lifts his gaze from the surface of the water. "I can't hide any longer… I need to face the truth" He locks his eyes onto those of his friend. "I'm not normal Serena… I… I… I shouldn't have ever been born. I'm a crime against nature. There's an animal within me"

Every word stones his young heart, stabbing into him like a knife. As much as these words hurt him, he must say them, to protect her from the animal inside him… He must protect her from the Beast.

As the gravity of his words sink in to her, tears begin to fill her eyes, how can he say that? That's a horrible thing to say about anyone, even murderers, so why would he say it about himself?

"Don't say that! It's not nice! I don't like it!... Why're you saying so many horrible things about yourself?" She cried out, as the pain and hurt in her eyes begins to leak out onto her cheeks.

He turns back to face the water once again, unable to watch her pain fall from her eyes. "It's the truth Serena… There are two souls living in my body, there's me… Then there's the Beast. The animal that sometimes possesses my body and uses it to do horrible things"

His own pent up tears begin to leak from his eyes, dripping down his cheeks to fall to the earth below. The gentle breeze carries some of their tears to join the water of the pond, melding and mixing them together to become a single, clear fluid.

For a while there's nothing but the sounds of the water flowing and their tears dripping. They both take the chance to think about the words that have passed through his lips, about the impact this could have on their friendship.

He knows how this will end, it'll end the same way it always does when he makes a friend. She'll start to fear him, the fear will make her recoil away from him, then the fear will turn to hatred. Once that happens, Lucario will be forced to remove her memory of him and Lily, to take away her knowledge of the Beast.

It'll be like they never even met. And that hurts him more than anything else ever could. To lose his closest friend, to lose Serena… Nothing will ever be able fill the void left in his heart.

While he thinks these thoughts, she looks into his reflection in the water, trying to see what he sees. When she looks into his reflection, she sees nothing but the boy who saved her from what lurks in the forest, she sees her brave Knight who risked everything to protect her.

He didn't hesitate to reveal his powers to her, but he waited for weeks to tell her this, and even then it was only because his Grampa basically forced him to. He must be telling her the truth; he must really have another soul trapped inside of him.

Why did he wait so long to tell her? Was he afraid of how she'd react?

She can see fear in the reflection of his eyes, something about this has him terrified, so terrified that he can't speak anymore. Could he be afraid that she doesn't want to be his friend anymore?

"Red… I'm not going to leave you. You know that right?" She asked hesitantly, while looking into the water.

The flow of tears from his eyes abruptly ends, as he processes her words. Did she just say she's not going to leave him? He just told her he's got an animal trapped inside of him, and yet she's not running?

He turns to face her, doubt and disbelief etched across his tear soaked face. "What? What did you say?"

She wipes away her tears, then looks back at him with a ghost of a smile across her face. "I said I'm not going to leave you, you're my friend Red, I'm not goanna turn my back on you for having a problem"

She shakily takes his hand in her own, sending a light blush across her own face. "You've always been there for me… Why wouldn't I be here for you?"

His eyes shut themselves, to try and stop another wave of tears from breaking free and rolling down his face. "Because I'm dangerous Serena" He said as he pulled his hand free from her grasp, and turned to face the water once again. "The Beast, it's more than just an evil… Thing. It craves blood, Pokémon, human, it doesn't care so long as it gets blood"

She doesn't reply to him, instead she waits for him to carry on, clearly this isn't easy for him to talk about, it's best just to let him do this in his own time and at his own pace.

"I-I-I don't know this for certain, but I think it's one of them… I think it's a Paladin. It can use its Aura, but it can do it like it's already been trained. It shouldn't be able to do that, the only way that makes sense is if it's one of _them_ " He said with a trembling voice.

"It… When it possesses me, it tries to kill everything it sees. It's tried to kill Mom, Mimey, Lily even Grampa. It _really_ hates Grampa, that makes me think it's a Paladin more. All I know for certain about it is that its evil, absolute evil, when you're near it, you can feel the evil coming from it… It's horrible"

She continues to sit beside him, listening to him, letting him vent all this out. When he's done, she'll still be here for him, for as long he needs her to be.

"Serena… If, if you're near me when it possesses me, then… It'll try to kill you as well" He whimpered in fear. "It doesn't know you even exist right now, but if you're near me when it takes control, then that won't matter. It'll do everything it can to kill you"

He opens his eyes a crack, just enough for him to see her reaction. She definitely looks shocked, her face is a little pale, but she's still here.

"I-I-I don't… I'm not sure why, but it hates me more than anything else. It forces me out of my body, but makes me watch what it does with my body, it makes me see what it's doing to the people I care about… Sometimes, when I dream, it talks to me. Telling me what it's going to do to everyone… When that happens, Lily says it's like I'm having a really bad nightmare and they can't wake me up… Not until the Beast lets me go"

"Why? Why does it hate you so much?" The question fell from her lips before it even formed in her mind.

He takes a breath to try and calm himself, this won't be easy for him to say, but it must be done. "I think it hates me more than anything else, because it's bound to my body. While it's inside me, its fate is linked to mine, if I die so will it… I haven't come into my full power yet, so my body's weak. When it possesses me, my body begins to die, much faster than normal. It can't possess me for too long, or use up too much energy; it'll kill me if it does… Then it'll die too"

"Well that's good right? It means it can't control you for long" She said with a comforting tone.

"It doesn't need long Serena, it can kill quickly… It wants a body of its own though, more than anything in this world it wants a body of its own, if it ever gets one it'll be unstoppable. While it's in me, Grampa or my Masters can take it down. But, once I come into my full power, then… No one will have enough power to beat it down, not without killing me" He said with a heavy sigh. "Now you know, you know as much about it as we do"

Finally he has finished, he has spilled his darkest secrets to her. Now he can turn to face her again, he can look her in the eye again now. "You need to protect yourself Serena, you need to stay away from me" He whispered, with pain in his voice.

She looks back at him with a hurt expression. She knows why he's saying this, he just wants to protect her, but it still hurts that he'd think she'll abandon him because he has a problem.

"Red, I'm not goanna leave. I won't abandon you because of this. You're my friend Red, and no animal's goanna change that. The Beast can go to Hell, but I'm not going anywhere. I promise" She said with a firm, but also compassionate tone.

His eyes widen as he hears her voice, her sweet beautiful voice. She doesn't care? She's not goanna abandon him? That's… Never happened before. Even his family look at him like he's a stranger for days after it possesses him, they treat him like he's not part of the family, eventually they accept him back, but they still treat him differently.

But, she just said she won't and… He believes her.

"Do… Do you mean that?" He asked with childlike hope. "You're not goanna treat me differently?"

She shakes her head firmly at him, with a stern look on her young face. "Of course not. I meant what I said. I can't blame you for something that's beyond your control Red, that's like me blaming you for the world being round. How can I blame you for something you can't control?"

Her kind words force their way through his sorrow and fear, driving them from his heart. Without these emotions to fuel them, the tears that were falling from his eyes die, leaving his eyes with only a slight redness and swelling to them.

When they first met she planted a seed in the barren earth that makes up his heart, her loving and kind personality watered it and their friendship forced it to sprout out and grow. Her actions since they met have forced the pant to grow strong and sprout new leafs. Today, her choice to become a Knight and preserve their friendship has caused a bud to form.

And now, she has heard his darkest secrets, the darkness trapped inside his body, and she's still here. She hasn't let it change how she feels about her friend; she's staying by his side.

The budding flower in his heart blooms, revealing the rose that she planted so long ago. The beautiful flower that she planted drives the negativity from his heart, bringing with it a strange and unfamiliar feeling, a feeling that fills his stomach with Butterfree, a feeling that fills his entire face with a rush of blood, a feeling that forces his heart to beat harder than it's ever beaten in his short life. While this feeling is without a doubt strange and alien to him, it's not unpleasant; it makes him feel happy, very happy.

Suddenly the thought of talking to her again adds a swarm of buzzing Beedrill into his stomach, causing a nervous sweat to roll down his neck and a lump to form in his throat. Try as he might, he's unable to swallow this lump, it sits in his throat.

He tries once more to swallow the unknown lump in his throat; the result is the same as before, regardless he opens another smile and glues it to his face. The stray tears across his face fall, they no longer have any place across its surface. "Thank you Serena… No one's ever said anything like that to me before. Thanks for being here for me, thanks for being my friend" His voice returns to its normal strength, no fear or sorrow can be found within it, he is as he was before this conversation.

The sight of her crush smiling again gives birth to a smile across her face. Without thought of the consequences, she lunges forwards and pulls him into a tight hug, resting her chin on his shoulder in the process. Her own face erupts into a full beetroot blush, what has she done?

To her surprise, he returns the hug and gently rubs his cheek against hers affectionately, after a second of this, both of their faces burn even brighter. "Anytime you need to talk Red, I'll always be here for you… No matter what, I'm here for you Red" She whispered to him.

* * *

The sun begins to set across the surface of the world, turning the sky into an ocean of a warm orange glow. The time the children have together today is running short; it won't be long before Grace returns to take Serena back home again.

Knowing this, the children have used their time together to play and have fun together, but they've also done something else with their time. They have been discussing the second meaning behind the symbol of the Knights.

For as long as there have been Knights, there have been people who have witnessed them and their powers. While they have tried to keep their powers secret by removing the memories of those who witness their deeds, their powers still became known throughout the lands.

While they try to keep the innocent people and Pokémon of this world from knowing the danger they live in each and every day, the Paladins grant no such kindness. They don't hide their powers and refuse to take the knowledge from those who see them.

To prevent their secrets from being exposed, the Knights made a decision. If the Paladins won't hide their powers, then they'll just have to do the same. The Masters of the Aura Knights chose to spread a rumour, a rumour that over time has grown into a legend.

The legend of the Aura Users.

The legend of Aura Users tells the ignorant that there are people who are born different from the rest of humanity, people who are born with powers over Aura. While the legend tells little about Aura, it does warn those who care enough to listen that it is an incredibly rare gift, a gift that takes years of training to master.

Those who are blessed with this divine power are incredibly powerful, so powerful that normal humans wouldn't be able to last a second against one in a fair fight. The legend says only highly trained Pokémon have any chance against one in a battle.

Aura Users are said to bear a symbol across their clothing or bodies, the symbol of the Knights, this mark acts as a warning to others. A warning that tells would be attackers to back off; this one is more than you can chew on.

This cover allows Knights to bear their symbol with pride, while most bear it as a subtle mark across their clothing, others are less than conspicuous. More than that though, this legend lets them defend themselves and others if necessary without fear.

While most of their activities are hidden from the world by removing the memories of those who find out about them, they do sometimes allow word to spread of their deeds, to spread the rumours further.

This illusion keeps their noble work hidden from the world, if someone were to see their powers or the powers of the Paladins; they'd just think they're Aura Users.

* * *

Delia pokes her head out from the sliding doors; she looks to be happier than she was when she last looked out here. "Serena! Your Mom's here to pick you up!" She called out.

Knowing that their time today has come to an end, the children say their goodbyes and agree to meet up again. Red watches her leave with sad look across his face, and a horrible feeling in his heart. Saying goodbye hurt more than it ever has before, why? Why's it hurt so badly?

"It makes me sad when we have to say goodbye, but it's never hurt this much before. Why? Why's it hurt so… Shit" He thought as a look of realisation hit his face. "SHIT! FUCK! FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUCK!... I like Serena… Shit"

* * *

Unbeknown to them, the twins Masters were watching them. Both Luke and Gallade sit in a meditative pose in the Viridian forest, through their meditation they've been able to extend their Aura Vision far enough to watch them and hear their conversations.

They both lift their heads, breaking their meditation in the process. Luke pulls back his hood, revealing his face to the world. He looks to be in his early thirties, his face is free from scars and blemishes. His eyes are a dark chocolatey brown. His hair is auburn brown and quite long for a man, long enough that he has to tie it off into a ponytail to keep it from blocking his sights.

Gallade's face is host to an angry snarl, his eyes burn with hatred and rage. _"He shouldn't have done that"_ He spat.

Luke turns to face him; he can feel his rage flowing through their Connection. "Relax Gallade. It is done"

The blade Pokémon shakes his head in frustration. _"No. I won't relax. He shouldn't have done that. She had not made her decision, the decision that should have been his to make, but still he told her more of our secrets"_ He growled angrily.

"Gallade, the issue is resolved. She will become his Apprentice; she is one of us now. Drop it" Luke said firmly.

Gallade turns his head sharply to face his Master, focusing his glare onto him instead of the earth below. _"Why? Why would he do something so stupid as to tell her about THEM?! He may be a moron, but that was stupid, even for him"_

"Gallade. Back down now" The stern tone is enough to force Gallade to lower his head in shame. "You don't have to like Red to train him; we have a duty to them both. They are our Apprentices and they are our responsibility"

The human like Pokémon raises his head once again. _"Master, did he do what I think he did?"_

Pleased that his partner is once again showing some form of self-control, Luke nods his head with a ghost of a smile across his face. "Yes Gallade, he has awakened her Aura. Though I doubt he intended to, he was simply trying to convince her, but result is the same. Her Aura has been awakened"

" _By our traditions then, he must be the one to train her… How fitting"_ Gallade said as he took the meditative pose once again. _"Did his feelings for her also awaken then?"_

Luke joins his partner in the meditative pose, his face clearing of emotion in the process. "No, that came when she accepted him for who he is… When she decided not to let that thing stop them from being friends"

A faint smile crawls across Gallade's face, the kind of smile that unsettles those who see the dark intent behind it. _"Then it is as you predicted, that means the Beast will be rearing its ugly head in soon… I can't wait to send it back to Hell where it belongs"_

A light scowl takes up residence on Luke's face; Gallade's eagerness for bloodshed disturbs him. "Gallade, visions of the future don't always come true. You know this as well as I do, so tell me, what is a vision?"

Gallade sighs heavily in irritation; he always hated being treated like an Apprentice. He is as much a Knight as his Master, yet he often sees fit to remind him of the most basic of lessons. _"Those who have control over their Aura sometimes have visions of the future in their dreams. They are warnings of things to come, sometimes they come to pass and other times they don't. You don't have to treat me like a child Master, you could have simply told me that your vision may not come to pass"_ He said bitterly.

"Would you have listened to me if I had?" His partner doesn't respond to him. "I thought not. We still have some time until it makes its next appearance, time we can use to try and learn more about it. Maybe we'll be able to find a way to destroy it without hurting Red"

The blade Pokémon snorts at his words. _"If it means killing that thing, then it would be worth the sacrifice Master. That thing has killed before, it'll do it again, if we kill it while it is weak we could save countless lives"_

Luke breaks his meditation in a heartbeat, bolting his head to give his partner a death glare. "Don't you fucking dare" He growled. "Murdering a child is _never_ a worthy sacrifice. We will find another way, a way that doesn't involve murdering a child"

" _Would you say that if he were anyone else?!"_ Gallade quickly retorted with a death glare of his own. Silence is his only response. _"I thought not. If anyone other than those two had the same problem, adult or child, you wouldn't hesitate to end their life"_

Luke's eyes shut, as his head drops down in shame. Gallade is right, if anyone else had the same problem as his Apprentice, he'd be forced to end their life. But he can't end either Red or Lily's lives; both he and Gallade have a duty to them both. No matter the cost, they must protect them. Both of them.

"Gallade, drop it. You know why we can't hurt them, they must live. We owe them that much" His voice is weak, raspy and filled with pain.

All traces of aggression fade from Gallade's pale face, having been reminded of the debt they owe the twins, the entire Ketchum family. He returns to his meditative pose. _"You are right Master, but doesn't mean I have to like it"_ He thought bitterly. _"Debt or no debt, given the chance, I will destroy the Beast. At any cost"_

* * *

 **Oooh, the plot thickens. Gallade has something against his Apprentice and wants to end his short life. WHAT THE FUCK?!**

 **There're a lot of questions that need answers, but they won't be coming here. You'll have to read on to be able to see what happens next, 'cause I'm certainly not goanna say it here.**

 **I will say this though, next chapter they get their Pokémon. YAY! But since they're these guys Pokémon, don't expect things to go right. Hehehehe…**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review, suggest, comment, get angry with me. Do whatever you want, hit me with your best shot. I dare you.**

 **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	3. Fangs for the memories

**Chapter 3: Fangs for the memories**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to Wolfblade84, Ringabell & Nightgale45, thanks so much for the reviews! Thanks to everyone who has hit that follow and favourite button with your face! I really appreciate it.**

 **For those of you who are wondering what the purpose of the Knights is… I'm not goanna tell you. Not yet anyway, it won't be until the fourth arc. A long way off I know, but it'll be worth the wait, trust me.**

 **Disclaimer: I am a Mad Ass Dragon! Do I look like I could own Pokémon? DO I?! TELL ME! Shit… I barbequed him, don't change the fact that I don't own Pokémon.**

 **Edit: I'm seriously tired of saying this, but I've updated THIS chapter too! There aren't many changes to this chapter, apart from some basic shit, but the plots basically the same – 3/5/16**

* * *

 **Previously**

Last time, Red was forced to choose his friend's fate, he refused and it nearly cost him one of the most delicate parts of his anatomy. In the end though, both he and his sister were allowed to leave unharmed.

Serena had to choose her own fate, does she lose her memories of her only friends, or does she join an order she knows nothing about?

In the end she only had one choice, she had to join and one day she will become Red's apprentice. A decision that brought each of the children no end of happiness.

Finally, Red was forced to reveal the darkest side of himself. He was forced to tell Serena about the darkness trapped inside him. To his great surprise, she didn't recoil from him, she didn't try to run, she stood by him.

It was then he realised that he has a heart, and it aches for his closest friend.

* * *

 **In Red's dream**

The dream like land before him is as interesting as ever, yes, the never ending sea of darkness begs for the eye's attention. When combined with an echoing silence surrounding his field of vision, the scene is set for yet another dream. Another dream that makes him question his reason for sleeping, nothing ever happens in these strange dreams, maybe the occasional whisper or moving patch of grey, but nothing of note.

"What's going on?" He asked himself, suddenly aware of his own existence. "HELLO! Anyone there?"

His voice echoes throughout this place, the only sound to be heard. Nothing answers his call, not that he was expecting it to, nothing ever does.

It seems he must remain here, alone again, maybe he'll get lucky and wake up soon. Or maybe he'll be forced to wait here, to wait for nothing for hours on end… It's even worse than a nightmare; at least they end faster than this will.

Then, out from the darkness, a light begins to shine. A faint violet light shines out from, what could only be called the ground, instantly drawing in his attention. He watches it form into a violet haze, taking the form of what looks like a tiny bat, with tear drop shaped ears atop its head.

The haze covers the surface of the Pokémon, preventing him from seeing what kind of creature it is. Regardless, he knows it's a Pokémon, one he's never seen before. "What the?"

The moment the question echoes through the silence, another light forms from the surface of the ground. Unlike the first one, this light is bright red and quickly forms a solid shape. It quickly takes the form of Red; crouching down before the purple haze.

He looks to be the same age he is now, maybe a little bit older, but certainly different. This Red's eyes reflect no child like innocence, no happiness, no joy… They only reflect pain, horrendous pain.

 _Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!_

The tiny purple Pokémon squeaks up at the dream Red, while these sounds are undeniably cute, there is a distinct tone of aggression at their root. It's as though this baby is trying to give him a death threat.

How? How does he know that this… Thing, is a baby? How does he even know it's a Pokémon?

What's he thinking, this is a dream. Any manor of strange oddities can happen in a dream, all of which make perfect sense at the time. This is simply another part of the dream, something to be enjoyed not thought over.

"It's OK… We're not goanna hurt you" Dream Red said, with a gentle and comforting tone. His hand slowly extends out towards the haze, to show it that his intentions are not to cause harm. "It's OK little one… We're here to help you, I promise"

The Pokémon inside the haze seems to tense up and lock its eyes onto his own. A sound echoes through the silence, a sound that lingers in the ears and continues to tease the sense of sound for as long as it can. It sounds like a growl, a growl that could be interpreted as yet another threat. Just like the squeaks, this attempt to be vicious is undeniably adorable.

His small hands reach out to the baby, gently scooping it up in their grasp. Almost instantly, the haze covered Pokémon bites down onto his hands repeatedly, trying as hard as it can to rip his flesh apart and drink his blood… But there's a distinctive problem with this attempt, the little one has no teeth. All it can do is gum his hands aggressively, still it tries, it tries to gum his hands to death.

As he stands up, with the baby in his gentle grasp, it abandons its attempt at being vicious and begins squeaking aggressively once again. This time there is no room for doubt; this baby is definitely giving him a death threat.

The sound of his amused chuckling fills the void of silence, he continues to chuckle at the baby's attempt to be brave, as he pulls it into his chest. "It's OK little one. I'm here for you now; you're safe with me. I'll protect you, no matter what happens. I will protect you with my life" His words soothe the baby in his arms, to the point where it stops trying to growl and squeak aggressively at him.

Instead, she clings to his torn jacket, clinging to him as tightly as her tiny arms will let her. Somehow he knows this baby in his arms is a girl, she's so tiny, so helpless, so fragile… And sticky.

She's new born; she still has globs of egg goop across her body along with some traces of egg shell. She couldn't have hatched more than a few hours ago and already she's alone… Well no more, he's here for her now, and he'll never let her go.

A new sound fills the silence, the sound of tears falling from innocent eyes. The baby girl in his arms cries freely into his chest, venting her pain and loneliness into her savoir. His hands cup around her tiny body, she's so small he could fit her into a single palm, he holds her tightly in a warm and loving hug. "Do you have a name?"

Her tiny head shaking against his chest gives him his answer, this little one was robbed of her family before she was even given a name… How sad, not even a day old and she already knows the pain many adults dread.

He carefully cradles her in his arms, like a parent would their new born child, giving her some of his own body heat in the process. "Well little sister, that's changing now… Your name is Nibbler; I'm your Big Brother Red. Big Brother will protect you Nibbler; he will protect you with his life… As long as I live, I won't let anything ever hurt you. I love you little sister" He reaches down and gives her a gentle kiss on the forehead, sealing the bond between brother and sister.

* * *

In the world of the waking, the home of the Ketchums is filled with one of the worst sounds imaginable. A pair of digital alarm clocks bellows their horrific beeps, attempting to wake the twins, as they have for ten minutes now.

Unfortunately, both the Ketchum twins are heavy sleepers and their sleep is not so easily broken by an alarm clock. Knowing this, Delia has decided to wake her children herself, as she often has to.

The door to her only son's room slowly opens, knowing him he has yet to clean his room as she instructed last week, after Serena left. She pokes her head in and sighs, she was right, he hasn't even made the slightest attempt to clean this Tepig sty he calls a bedroom.

His painted dark red walls are still covered in food stains, so much so that the actual paint can barely be seen. His black carpets are in a very similar state, covered in garbage, dirty dishes and dirty laundry. There is the occasional clear patch across the carpet, which he uses to get to and from his bed.

The bed itself sits against the wall furthest from the door, underneath the room's only window, giving him a clear view out into the night sky as he drifts off to sleep. Next to this bed, sits a small wooden nightstand. The digital clock making the horrible sound sits atop the nightstand, next to the small lamp and a red box with a black bow on top. The box itself shakes every so often, as though there is something inside that wants to escape its confines.

Delia carefully makes her way to her son's bed, watching the garbage and other horrors around her feet for signs of movement. Not so long ago she came in here to find that Red had sneaked in wild Pokémon and had been feeding them his leftovers, she doesn't want to be surprised like that again.

She quickly switches off his clock, repressing the urge to destroy it as she does. Knowing Lucario, he'll likely give her a lecture on controlling her emotions better if she does destroy it. Not everyone is like him, we don't all have the ability to control our emotions and focus them at the right time, her husband's the Knight, not her.

The box next to the clock shakes again, catching her attention. She smiles warmly at it; P. Oak dropped it off this morning, along with a second box meant for Lily. "I wonder how Red will react when he finds you, waiting for him here" She thought to herself.

She turns her attention to her son, who is still sleeping like a baby. The covers aren't reaching his top half, allowing him to toss and roll around in his bed freely. With a smile on her lips, she takes his shoulders and gives him a gentle shake. "Wakey wakey birthday boy~" She chimed happily.

He quickly pulls himself free of her grasp, by rolling over towards the edge of his bed. He rolls so far that he manages to fall off its soft surface and collide with the floor below with a heavy thud. "Ow" He half-heartedly muttered as he awoke from his strangely prophetic dream.

A sweatdrop rolls down her face as she watches his face collide with a pile of his dirty socks. "Good morning Red" He sleepily waves a hand to acknowledge her. "Happy birthday~"

His head slowly lifts up from the pile of cloth that covers his feat, looking at his mother with a confused stare. "Wha? Birthday? I thought we cancelled it this year" She shakes her head at him, causing him to drop his face back into the pile of stench ridden socks. "Crap"

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "You know it wouldn't hurt you and your sister to look forward to your birthdays you know"

"What's to look forward to? Every year it's the same, you invite people over and embarrass the hell out of us by showing them our baby pictures" He said with a solemn tone. "For the love of god, please tell me you're not goanna do that again"

Her smile grows wider, as she turns her eyes towards the box on his nightstand. "Well we can still cancel your birthday if you want, but you and your sister won't get your presents then"

His head bolts from the floor to stare up at his mother again, this time with an eager smile across his face. "PRESENTS!"

She giggles slightly at his sudden eagerness for his and his sister's once a year special day, before pointing towards his nightstand. "P. Oak dropped this one off for you this morning, along with one for Lily" He instantly reaches out for it, but fails when Delia steals it away and raises it high above her head. "Ah ah ahh"

He looks up at her with pleading eyes, she simply grins slyly back at him. "Before I let you open it, you must promise me that you _won't_ use it to set your sister on fire"

His eyes widen in joy, quicker than lightening he stands up and reaches out for the box desperately. She counters by simply raising the box up higher, so it's completely out of his reach. "It's flammable! I LOVE IT ALREADY! GIMME GIMME GIMME!" He pleaded.

"Ah ah ahh… Not until you promise you won't use it to set your sister or any of her stuff on fire… Got it Mr?" She asked firmly.

He gives her a pair of pleading eyes once again, as he tries to reach the box again. "That's not fair! How can I have firepower and not test it out?" She slowly shakes her head, while wiggling the box slightly, tempting him with it. "OH FINE!… I promise I won't use it to set Lily or any of her stuff on fire… Today" He muttered the last part, so she wouldn't hear the loophole he found in her deal.

She smiles down at him. "There, was that so hard?" She lowers the gift into his waiting hands. "Just… Be careful, apparently he knows what his teeth are for"

Not hearing her warning, he retreats to the safety of his bed, before she can take it off him again. He eagerly rips the lid off and gazes at the contents within. A single full sized Pokéball sits in the box, along with five small Pokéballs and a note. He quickly pulls the note out with an eager smile across his face.

 _Dear Red,_

 _Happy birthday, I hope you enjoy your gift and your special day. Enclosed is your first Pokémon and five Pokéballs, raise him well._

 _\- P. Oak_

 _P. S. Be careful, he bites._

Without a second thought, he tosses the note aside and yanks out the Pokémon inside. Staring at the Pokéball with stars in his eyes, he thinks what could possibly be inside. In the end it doesn't really matter, he's got his own Pokémon and that's what matters.

She looks down at her son with pride; she hasn't seen him so happy in years. "I'm going to wake your sister, play nice with your new friend" She walks out the door and into the hall, leaving Red alone with his new Pokémon.

Without even waiting for her to shut the door, he hurls the Pokéball into the air. A flash of white bursts out from the red and white ball, landing on the end of the bed before him.

The light quickly forms a solid shape, before fading to reveal the Pokémon it once held. A lizard like Pokémon is revealed, his scaly skin is mostly orange but he has a creamy yellow underbelly, which goes down his belly and down to the end of his short tail. At the end of this limb, burns a small but fierce flame. His head is smooth and hairless, his eyes are greenish blue. A pair of short and stubby arms protrude from his small frame, holding small but sharp claws at their end.

He's a Charmander, a highly controversial Kanto starter Pokémon. While Charmander are generally quite placid and friendly, their evolved form Charmeleon becomes quite aggressive, often attacking their trainers with the slightest provocation. Then their final stage, Charizard, is the most aggressive of them all, these Pokémon have been known to willingly kill their trainers in the past, due to their heightened aggression. Charizard are one of the most aggressive Pokémon species there are, it is for this reason that Charmander is such a controversial starter Pokémon.

Charmander doesn't look very happy, his arms are crossed and he looks like he's been slapped across the face by a Feebas. He looks to be bigger than the average Charmander, his fangs look slightly longer than average too. It's possible he has a slight mutation which allows him to grow bigger than normal.

The Fire Pokémon examines the human sitting before him, growing ever so slightly as he does. "A Charmander? I've always wanted a Charmander" Red thought silently. "Hello there, my name's Red" He said with a happy smile.

Charmander's expression changes from annoyed, to a death glare. _"Shit. I'm stuck with another kid… Touch me and die"_ He growled angrily.

While Red cannot understand his words, it matters little; he's high from not only receiving his first Pokémon, but also getting the Pokémon he's dreamed of having for years. "Charmander, we're goanna be a great team, I know it. We'll be the strongest in the world!"

Charmander raises an eyebrow in response, at least he would if he had eyebrows, regardless he makes the expression. _"Wow, like I've never heard that line before"_ He growled sarcastically. _"Listen kid, I'll give you one chance. Screw up and I'm out of here"_

Red's eyes sparkle with excitement, having his own Pokémon opens up so many opportunities for him, as well as Charmander himself. "Charmander, I'd really like us to be friends… One day we can be brothers"

His response is to growl angrily at his new trainer, he's pushing it now. _"Look kid, if you keep this up I WILL bite you where it hurts. We're not friends. We're never goanna be friends. You fucking call me brother and I'll claw your face off"_ He growled with anger.

Overcome with excitement, Red jumps from his bed and onto the cleanest patch of floor he can. "I'm goanna become a champion one day Charmander, and I want you at my side! Are you into battling?"

The Fire lizard turns towards his new trainer as he stands up, continuing to growl at him. _"A champion? You a champion? Yeah sure, and I'm really a Hypno whose come here to steal you and make you my bitch"_ He snarled sarcastically. _"For fucks sake… Why me? Why do I have to be stuck with useless kids?"_ He sighs heavily, knowing that he has to at least give this kid a chance, before nodding his head.

With the biggest smile he's had on his face since he first met Serena, Red scoops up Charmander and holds him out away from his body. He's desperate to open a Connection with him, to meld their Aura together so they'll really become brothers, but he and Lily agreed a long time ago that they'll bond with their first Pokémon the normal way first. That way they'll really appreciate the difference the Connection makes.

The moment Red's hands touch his scaly skin; his growl evolves into a deep and primal snarl. _"Bitch, you better put me down before you regret it. Don't you understand me? Put. Me. Down. NOW!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, in Lily's bedroom. Lucario stands beside her bed, glaring down at the alarm clock on her nightstand. Her bedroom is very similar to Red's; the only differences are that her room is clean, her walls are white, free from stains and her floors are boards.

The aging Lucario glares down at the clock that continues to beep, unlike Delia he cannot resist the urge to destroy it and send it to Hell. He notices the small white box with a pink bow on top, sitting next to the clock and makes a mental note not to hit it.

" _I fucking hate these things. Whoever invented them, I hope you're burning in Hell as I speak"_ In his paws he creates a Bone Rush attack; he raises the club high above his head before smashing it down with a demonic grin across his face. The clock _was_ the same model as Red's, but now it has been reduced to nothing but a smouldering pile of plastic and components.

The horrific sound dies with the clock, bringing forth a heavy sigh of relief from Lucario. _"Blessings be to the mother and father of creation, that's SO much better"_ He slumps his club over his shoulder, before turning towards the door and spotting Delia. _"Good morning"_

She can only sweatdrop at the smile across his face. "Um, good morning Lucario. How many clocks have you destroyed now? Five or six?"

He gives her a pride filled smirk as he passes her and goes out the door. _"Killed. Not destroyed, killed. Neither, it's eight… If you count Red's"_

He makes his way into Red's room, just in time to hear the lizard issue his threat. _"If I were you Red, I'd put that little guy down. Before he…"_ He trails off, as Red pulls Charmander into a loving hug.

Charmander growls yet another death threat, as his tail flame grows slightly bigger. The aging Lucario sighs and makes his way towards Red's clock. _"I warned you last time you did this; if you beeped again I would kill you…"_ He raises his club high above his head. _"Time to die clock"_

* * *

Back in the other twin's room, Delia has been left confused by Lucario's words. "If you count Red's clock? But his isn't" A loud smash echoes throughout the house, disturbing Lily's sleep as it does.

The mother rubs her eyebrows in frustration. "Broken… I give up; he keeps killing them so what's the point of replacing them?"

As if to answer her question, Lucario pokes his head back into the room. _"Don't say a word about controlling my emotions. Those 'clocks' are the devil's work, and must be destroyed. Replace them, and I kill them. Do with that what you will"_ He quickly removes his head from the doorway, leaving the mother and daughter alone again.

 **(A/N Admit it, we've all wanted to kill an alarm clock at some point. I've gone through three of them)**

Delia shakes her head in frustration, before turning to her sleeping daughter with a loving gaze. "How did you sleep through Grampa killing your clock?" She gently caresses her daughter's cheek with the back of her fingers. "Up you get birthday girl, your present's here"

The young lady in question pulls her covers up and over her head, in an attempt to stay in bed a little longer. Her mother giggles slightly; as usual she'll need a little extra encouragement to leave the comforting embrace of sleep. "Don't you want your presents?" She asked as she pulled down the covers, to reveal a scowling Lily.

"Five more minuets… Go wake up Dum dum instead" She mumbled as she tried to tug the covers free from her mother's grasp.

Delia maintains her tight hold across the blanket, refusing to allow her daughter to return to the realm of sleep. "Don't call your brother names, and I can't, he's already awake and bonding with his new friend… I thought you'd want to do the same" She rolls her eyes towards the box on her nightstand.

The young girl's face lights up at the mention of her gift, instantly she releases her hold across the blanket and bolting up into a sitting position. Within seconds she spots the gift on her nightstand and snatches it before Delia can take it off her.

Without wasting another second, she rips the lid off to gaze at the contents within. The contents of her box are the same as Red's were, a single full sized Pokéball along with five smaller Pokéballs and a note. "YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, while kicking her legs out in joy.

Her mother hasn't seen her so happy for so many years, not since she was a baby. Lily's almost always happy, but seeing her like this is heart-warming. "Just don't hurt your brother with him, OK?" Without averting her gaze from the Pokéball, Lily mindlessly nods her head in agreement.

Without bothering to read the note, Lily hurls the Pokéball up into the air, releasing the Pokémon within. "COME ON OUT!" A flash of white light bursts free from the ball, and lands on the bed in front of her.

As the shine of the light fades, a small orange chick like Pokémon is revealed. He's covered in short orange feathers, with a ring of longer yellow feathers around his waist. Atop his head are a trio of long yellow feathers, with another trio of tiny orange feathers at their base. His face holds a small beige beak; it barely even pokes out from his face. A pair of blueish black eyes shimmer out from his feathers. When compared to the size of his body, his feet are quite large. Both of them have three large talons at their front, along with a small spur at their back.

This sweet little chick like Pokémon is a Torchic, Lily's prize for winning the summer camp competition.

Her eyes widen at the adorable sight before her, her smile grows even wider. "Oh my god! YOU'RE SO CUTE!" She squealed in happiness.

His own eyes widen and sparkle, as he looks up at his new trainer with excitement. _"Are you my new friend?"_ He chirped happily.

Both of the girls release their breaths, carrying the words 'Awww' with them. Lily gently scoops him up and pulls him into a tight hug; he nuzzles his head against her affectionately in return. "You're so warm"

The mother beams down at her daughter and her new Torchic, thinking that they're both so cute. "Right then, you two bond while I get breakfast rea-" She is interrupted mid-sentence by the sounds of her son's screams.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Red's screams of pain echo throughout the entire building, compelling all who call it home to seek out their source.

* * *

Red continues to scream like a five year old girl as he runs around his room like a Combusken with its head cut off, the cause of his pain, Charmander is hanging from his ass, sinking his fangs into his flesh as hard as his jaws will let him.

Delia bursts into his room, followed closely by Lily, whose carrying her new Torchic in her arms. The instant the three of them see the reason for his girlish screams; they all feel an overpowering urge to laugh. Lily and Torchic have no need to supress this urge, so they freely fall back and onto the floor, rolling across its surface, laughing themselves stupid.

Delia does not have this same advantage; she cannot laugh at this compromising situation, for fear of upsetting her son. Instead she cups her hands over her mouth and tries hard to supress the urge flowing through her.

The Pokémon, who has taken up the role of Grampa in this dysfunctional family, slowly enters the room, careful not to tread on either Lily or Torchic as he does, who are both still laughing so hard they're turning blue. _"I told you to put him down Red. He warned you he'd make you regret it"_

Unlike the girls and Torchic, Lucario feels no urge to laugh at Red's suffering and humiliation. No pity swells within him, he warned the boy this would happen, perhaps this is the harsh lesson Red needs… He doesn't know everything. He can't do everything. At some point, everyone must accept help to be able to grow and learn. Taking advice is the same as accepting help.

Ignoring those who have come in to find him suffering like this, Red continues to run around the room erratically, with the Fire lizard hanging off his ass. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Charmander ignores his demand for release, in favour of biting down harder. Unable to form words without releasing his hold on the boy, he simply growls at his command.

"THAT'S IT!" Red screamed in pain. He stops dead before his bed, eyes burning with anger and stray tears. He lunges his hands between his legs and grabs the dangling tail hanging down.

 **(A/N If anyone makes a stupid joke over this, I swear to god I will kill you. He's a fucking kid)**

His hands tightly grasp the limb hanging down, being careful not to let his flesh get too close to the flame at the end. He pulls against the tail with all the force his scrawny muscles can generate, accidentally causing the tail to pressing into his groin in the process. His eyes water as his already ample stores of pain, are pushed to their limits. "MY BALLS!" He mentally screeched.

Undeterred by this new pain, he continues to pull his new Pokémon's tail as hard as he can. Charmander sinks his teeth in as hard as he possibly can, neither of these stubborn fighters is willing to back down or give an inch in this battle of wills.

Although, he is impressed by this stubborn streak in this kid, usually his trainers plead or beg him to let them go… This is a strange thing he's doing, but he actually likes it, a kid who isn't afraid to fight with a Pokémon. It's a nice change.

Lily and Torchic manage to force their laughter down enough, to be able to sit up and watch Red and Charmander's battle. "Hey, why aren't you screaming like a… Shit" The look on his face steals her words from her, leaving both her and Torchic unable to say a word.

The face of the boy is burning brightly with blood; his baby teeth are on display for all to see as he grinds them. His young face has determination not to be beaten etched across its surface. His muscles begin to strain, but he refuses to acknowledge the possibility of defeat. He will not be beaten, not now, not ever.

The strain of this duel is beginning to take a toll on Charmander; his fangs are starting to lose their hold over his flesh. Finally, he loses the battle; his jaws give out and open, allowing Red to pull him free. The sudden shift in both weight and force, causes both of the boys to fall back and against the bed.

Not giving the lizard the chance to bite him again, Red lifts him up to eye level, but at an arm's length away from his face. Charmander growls in humiliation, before lunging his jaws forward again to try and sink his teeth into flesh once again. His newest trainer grins in delight, while staring into the depths of his eyes. "Nice try, if I can beat Lily then I can beat you"

The lizard tries to vent his humiliation by chewing Red's face off, but he's unable to reach him. Instead, he's forced to settle for snarling his own face off at him. _"I will eat your guts. You have to sleep sometime, and that's when I'll strike. I'll slice your belly open and claw my way into your stomach, and eat you from the inside out"_

* * *

The twins have both forced themselves into their normal clothes, and forced down their breakfasts. While they'd normally dive into their morning meal, today neither of them wants their bellies filled. Lily wanted to feed Torchic instead as his tiny belly kept growling, but Delia insisted she eat _something_. Eventually they came to a compromise, Lily ate a bite, and then she'd give Torchic a bite.

While Lily and Torchic were bonding, Red and Charmander were silently fighting again. Both of them spent the morning glaring at each other, as well as stealing each other's food. Red ended up throwing most of his food into Charmander's face, while to him this was a good way to start a friendly food fight, to Charmander this was a declaration of war. The Fire starter vowed he'd get revenge, he vowed to humiliate Red publically, the way he was humiliated. While he has yet to make good on that threat, he is simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to get revenge.

For now all four of them are waiting in the garden for the guests to arrive, while neither of the twins are fond of celebrating their birthday, the rest of their family is. Delia arranged their party a while ago, when she picked them up from camp she decided the guest list and made all the arrangements. So the twins don't have a choice, they're having a party whether or not they like it.

Red lies in the cool grass, holding his hands behind his head, as he gazes up into the skies above. There are many soft clouds across the ocean of blue above, the gentle breeze shaves the clouds into various shapes and forms before his eyes.

While Charmander doesn't like Red in any shape way or form, he does need to be close to him in order to get his revenge. Instead of gazing up at the sky like a moron, he's chosen to examine the strange plant life that surrounds the garden. Never before has he seen anything like it, while he has seen flowers, he's never seen any that have been taken care of so well before.

While the two of them do their own thing, Lily has chosen to show Torchic the beauty of the pond. While he's certainly no fan of water, he does find the shimmering surface, along with the gentle flow across the shining surface of the rocks rather relaxing.

* * *

 **Knock knock knock**

The sound of the first guest to arrive and requesting entrance flows through the home, as Delia and Mimey are busy in the kitchen, Lucario opens the door to reveal the smiling faces of Serena and her plus one.

The young girl is dressed differently to normal, perhaps she wanted to dress up nicely for the party, or maybe she's trying to impress her crush. There's no way to know.

Her summer dress is pastel yellow, while it is similar to her normal pink one; there are a few minor changes. The bottom of said dress has a white frill across its surface, which extends down to her knees. The straps that hold her dress up form an X across her back. Like her normal dress, this one also has a pastel pink stripe across the waist. Finally, unlike her normal clothing, this dress has a pair of deep pockets at the front.

Her hair drapes down the back of her neck, tied off into a lose ponytail by a large pink bow.

 **(A/N It's the same bow that she wears in the anime, when she's not wearing her hat)**

In her small and slender arms, a slightly younger and smaller version of Charmander resides. The only differences between Charmander and this Fire starter, is that her eyelashes are far longer and she has a bow that matches Serena's on her head.

The old Pokémon smiles welcomingly at both of the guests at his door. _"Hello Serena, it's good to see you again. Who's this?"_ He asked with a gentle tone, aware of her skittish nature.

Serena hugs her first Pokémon tightly, beaming away at her friends Grampa. "This is Charla, Charla this is Lucario, say hello" Her normal happy voice is bursting energy and enthusiasm.

The little Charmander, now known to be Charla, smiles up at Lucario politely. _"Hello Mr Lucario, Serena told me about you"_ She said with a girlish tone, before rubbing her cheek against Serena's affectionately.

"Hey cut it out, that tickles" Serena half-heartedly asked her newest friend. Undeterred by this demand, Charla continues to show her love for her trainer with her affectionate nuzzle.

" _Make me"_ Charla playfully retorted.

Seeing the two girls happy like this fills Lucario with joy, it's always good to humans and Pokémon getting along well, and after seeing how 'well' Red and his own Charmander have been getting along, it makes this all the more sweeter. _"Well maybe you two will be able to set a good example… The twins are out in the garden, I warn you though Red's not in the best of moods"_

The girls hesitantly stop their game, to pay their attention to Lucario once more. "What's wrong with him?" Serena asked with frightened tone.

A sweatdrop crawls down Lucario's head, as his eyes roll towards the ceiling. He's unsure on how to answer a question like this, without embarrassing his Grandson anyway. _"I'll leave that to him to explain, the both of you go on through. It's nice to meet you Charla, take good care of Serena; she could use a true friend"_

Serena's young face brightens up at the prospect of seeing both her crush and friend again, while Charla puts on a hurt expression. How dare this old coot suggest she wouldn't take care of Serena, who does he think he is? _"She's my friend!"_ She growled aggressively. _"Why wouldn't I take care of her?!"_

Lucario raises an eyebrow at the sudden change in attitude, a moment ago she was a happy, giggling school girl like lizard, then she changed to a protective dragonling. _"You may be young, but you're braver than most Charmander I've met… When you meet Red you'll understand why I said that Charla, just whatever you do don't laugh"_

* * *

The laughter of a girl and her Pokémon fills the garden; Lily and Torchic run around the edges of the garden, enjoying a simple game of tag. Right now Lily is 'it', so Torchic is running on ahead of her to avoid her touch. "I'll get you!" She playfully declared.

Red remains on his patch of grass, gazing up at the sky above, fantasising about flying through the air, without a care in the world. Charmander has grown bored of the flowers around them, there's only so much they can do to impress him and hold his attention. Instead, he lies down on the grass and gazes up at the sky too, wondering just what could be so interesting about it.

The doors which separate the plant life from the home slide open, allowing the first guests to burst through to meet those on the other side. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Serena happily chimed.

Startled by the unexpected congratulations, Torchic trips on his own feet and crashes down into the dirt. _"Ouch"_ He quietly cried, as his eyes grew watery. Before his tears have the chance to leave his eyes, the small hands of his trainer quickly scoop him up and help him back onto his feet again. In gratitude, he turns around and rubs his head against her leg affectionately. _"Thank you Lily"_ He happily chirped.

Also surprised by the unexpected birthday wishes, Red nervously scrambles to his feet, almost falling face first into the dirt in the process. His face floods with blood upon hearing her voice, a voice which sends chills down his spine and stirs up a swarm of angry Beedrill in the pit of his stomach. It dawns on him that he must be dirty, having been laying against the earth for quite a while now. For the first time in his young life, he dusts himself down to clean himself up a little.

" _The fuck's up with you?"_ Charmander growled at Red. He to stands up, only he doesn't look at Serena, his attention is focused on his trainer. _"HELLO!… Wait a minute, you can't understand me. Shit, where's the old guy who can translate?"_ He asked himself as he looked around the garden.

The overpowering scent of honey catches both the strong sense of smell, both Charmander and Torchic possess. They both are able to tell its coming from the new girl here, thinking she must have some food on her, they both make their way to her feet and look up her expectantly. They barely even notice Charla in her arms.

The eyes of all the children here widen at the sight of the new Pokémon, Serena's attention washes over Charmander, to focus on Torchic. While the twins focus their eyes on the smaller version of Charmander in Serena's arms. "OH MY GOD! YOU'RE SO CUTE!" Serena screamed in delight.

Torchic widens his eyes, causing them to sparkle cutely. He learned a long time ago that acting adorable gets him what he wants, and he wants honey.

The twins stare at the second, smaller, lizard of fire in Serena's arms. Asking themselves why she has a Charmander, did P. Oak give her a Pokémon too? Or did she get her from somewhere else?

Serena's attention is drawn towards the second Pokémon at her feet; this one's the same as her own, only quite a bit bigger. She and Charla both struggle to take in his sheer size, he's almost twice her size! "Wow… You're a big boy aren't you?" Serena asked with a sweet tone.

Charmander looks up at her with an angry look across his face, while growling at them both. _"Someone give the know it all bitch a medal, she can see"_ He growled sarcastically.

As one of only other two who can understand him, Charla growls back at him, instantly jumping to her friend's defence. _"Not you again. I thought you got shipped off to another victim. Oh I'm sorry, I mean trainer. Call Serena a bitch again, and I'll shove your tail down your throat tough guy"_

" _Shit. I thought I'd seen the back of you. FUCK!"_ He growled angrily. _"Not only is the old guy an idiot, he thinks he a matchmaker… Speak to me like that again harpy, and I'll jam my claws so far upside your head you won't know where you end and I begin"_

The thought of him touching her makes her stomach churn, but she knows it makes him feel worse. That's something she can use against him. Forcing what could be seen as a seductive look on her face, she changes her tone to one that matches. _"Oooh the tough guy's back again… Is that what this's all about? You want to get your claws on me big boy?"_

Her words not only make her own scaly skin crawl, but his as well. More than that they slam into the pit of his stomach, forcing up the contents of his stomach into his mouth. He slams his hands across his lips, in an attempt to keep his breakfast where it belongs.

Seeing her words have had just the right effect, Charla decides to hammer the final nail in his coffin. She widens her eyes and blinks slowly at him, trying her hardest not to vomit herself. _"Is that why you're always so mean to me? So you can get some attention from me?… You should have just asked"_

His own eyes shrink in horror, not once has he thought about her like that, she's a bitch. Hell she's still a fucking kid! Why is she saying this crap?!

" _Sorry big boy, I want an alpha just like my Dad. When you're an alpha we'll talk, until then… You'll have to keep your claws off me big boy… If you can"_ For added effect, she winks at him.

She has not only forced the contents of his stomach into his mouth, she has likely given him nightmares for weeks. He can't it anymore, he has to puke. _"YOU FUCKING HARPY!"_ He makes a beeline for Red's room; this is his chance to leave a little _birthday present_ for him. _"SHE'S A FUCKING SEX MANIAC! KEEP THAT BITCH AWAY FROM ME!"_

A devious smirk crawls across young Charla's face as the dick known as Charmander runs away, struggling not to puke prematurely. _"NEVER CALL SERENA A BITCH! OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS MYSELF!"_

Torchic stares up at the girl he met a few days ago with a freaked out expression. He knows that the two of them don't exactly get along, as they've been at each other's throats the whole time, but that was just cruel.

* * *

Serena covers her mouth with both her hands, having been told how her friends' day started; she's not sure how to react. Charmander bit Red's ass… Is that funny or sad?

While his sister humiliates him, Red lays face first in the dirt, quietly whimpering into the earth. "Did you have to tell her that?" Never before in his young life has he ever been so humiliated.

Lily quickly scoops up her Torchic, hugging him tightly as she does. "Why are you even asking? Of course I had to tell her you were running around, screaming like a girl. You know me Red, I can't keep secrets from friends" She snickered.

Seeing the humiliation this topic is inflicting on Red, Serena decides to change the subject. "So…Umm… How'd you guys get your Pokémon? P. Oak dropped Charla off this morning; did he do the same for you guys?"

Grateful beyond measure for the change in the conversation, Red lifts his head from the earth and smiles back at his own crush. "I think that's what happened, we woke up and they were here"

The biggest lizard of fire slowly makes his way back outside, his face has a distinctive tint of green across its surface. _"Shit… That was not worth it"_

* * *

The three children lie in the cool, crisp, dew filled grass, enjoying the feeling of it against their skin. Together they watch the clouds above form shapes and patterns, while Charla and Torchic play together and Charmander sulks alone by the pond after his humiliation.

One of the few remaining breezes of summer makes its way into the garden, stirring up the grass and carving the clouds into new forms. The strength of the wind lifts the golden curls of young Serena, causing the honey strands of hair to gently whip around her face.

As the golden strands dance around her face, they catch the eye of her crush. Within seconds he's mesmerised by the glory of their flow, his eye wanders to a flash of pink at the centre of the flow; her bow becomes obvious to him only now.

"Do you always wear a pretty bow?" The question climbs out from his lips before it even forms in his tiny mind, causing a blush to burst out across both their faces.

While the two of them blush towards the sky, Lily remains perfectly silent. "For the love of god, just tell him already!" She thought with impatience.

Serena's fingers nervously run through her hair, reaching for the newest addition to her head. "No… I only wear it on special occasions" Her hand abandons the lump of pink atop her head, to position itself for a subtle hint to him, by lying across her heart. "Do… Do you… Like it?"

Her petite face turns to face him, analysing his face for any trace of a positive reaction. To her delight, he can't take his eyes off her bow, it's like he's enthralled by it… By her.

"Yes" He breathed back. "It's beautiful, very beautiful… I wish you'd wear it more, I'll miss it when you take it off"

His word could scarcely be called a whisper, so quiet that she could barely hear him. Despite the lack of volume from him, she heard him say the word 'beautiful' at that lone word is more than enough to make her face burn beetroot red. To his this from her crush, she turns her attention back to the sky above, he quickly follows suit, having realised what he just said.

All three of the children find their attention drawn to the same patch of sky, a patch that holds a pair of clouds that are drifting closer and closer to each other. Like two dandelion seeds wafting on the breeze, they collide with each other to form a single, bigger ball of fluff.

Despite the disappointing collision, the three of them continue to watch the newly formed cloud. The wind begins to reform and reshape it, breaking away many small chunks, widdling it down to form a new shape.

After a moment, the shape within the clump of white fluff is revealed. A heart, a simple valentine's day shaped heart. It's as though the sky itself is trying to drop hints to both the crushing children, trying to tell them how the other feels.

"Why am I keeping this shit secret? These two are as bad as each other, both dense as can be. Maybe I need to tell them directly, tell them 'Hey, just so you know, your friend has a crush on you' maybe then they'd stop this crap… Nah, if I did that then I wouldn't be able to watch get embarrassed around each other" Lily thought with a smirk across her face.

Thoughts of the subject the shape in the sky fill Serena's mind. "Red… Will you ever feel anything for me? More than just friendship anyway… Every time I see you, my feelings for you grow stronger than they were. I can't keep this secret forever; I can only pray that you don't break my heart"

The mind of her crush is greatly conflicted, this sight is only adding to the raging storm of thought inside his head. "I can't like Serena… It's not right for me to feel like that about my friend… But I _do_ like her, more than I've ever liked anyone… I'm so confused"

As if responding to the conflict in his heart, a crack splits the heart of the sky in two, just like a broken heart. As the object of their focus breaks apart, a silent groan of disappointment falls from them all.

The mind of the male is once again freed from thoughts of the strange feelings stirring in his heart, allowing them to return to what they were before she arrived here. His thoughts once again wander to being free.

So many think they're free in this world, think they're able to do whatever their hearts desire… But they're not. Things like rules and laws are put in place to restrict certain freedoms, designed to prevent harm to others and keep places civilised.

But the world wasn't meant to be civilised, it was meant to be wild and untameable… It was meant to give creatures like him true freedom, something he's longed for, for as long as he can remember.

"Nature gives us everything we need to survive. She gives us everything we need, if we know what to look for. When I'm in the forest, there aren't any rules to bind me, to chain me up and tell me what I can and can't do… The only limit is my own will. There's no words to describe it" He thought with a longing tone.

"I can do what I want, when I want when I'm out there… I can just let it all go… I can drop my restraints and be who I really am. I don't have to be afraid out there…" He thought once again.

His eyes shut themselves, blocking out the world around him in the process. He shouldn't be thinking like this, all it does is make him pine for something he doesn't have, something he'll never have…

A life where he can leave his fears behind, a life without anger that doesn't belong to him boiling in his veins, a life without the raw hatred of an animal raging through his soul… A life without the Beast.

"All I want is to live free… Is that so wrong? No one else has to live like this, why do I have to? What did I ever do?…" A sigh momentarily breaks his thoughts. "I want to be free, to push myself past my limits and become more than I ever thought I could be…"

His thoughts begin to slip to the true reason for his desire for freedom, try as he might, he can't lie to himself. Lily is the only other soul to know this reason, he has never told anyone else and she has never told anyone. It's a secret the two of them have kept for too long, and it weighs heavily on them both.

What Red really wants, is to be away from people. Why? Because the Beast delights in hunting down people, hearing their screams of fear and begs for mercy, before finally killing them. It hunts Pokémon as well, but it doesn't seem to enjoy killing them as much as humans though.

He has no control over when it possesses him, or what it does with his body… He lives in constant fear of it, but if he's away from people, then maybe he won't have to be so afraid anymore.

* * *

The sliding glass doors, which separate the home from the slice of heaven that is the garden, open to allow Lucario to poke his head out of the doorway. _"Lily, Red your other guests are here… Remember the deal, be civilised to them. That means no hitting, no name calling, no stealing and no taunting in general. Behave yourselves"_

With that, the children's time of peace in the garden comes to an end. They gather their Pokémon and head on inside. Lily's excited to rub Torchic in their 'guests' faces, as well as her other present. Together the children and their Pokémon make their way inside, to face the newest arrivals.

* * *

Lily takes her usual seat atop the coffee table, with Torchic firmly in her arms. She pouts heavily in disapproval, why should they be forced to spend their birthday with two of the few people they honestly can't stand? It's not fair.

Red and Serena both have chosen to sit on something that was intended to be sat on, the sofa. Serena is cuddling up with Charla, partly to show her off to both the other guests, but mostly to keep her away from Charmander, who seems to be pissed with her.

Red knows better than to try anything even remotely close to this with Charmander, so he's letting him wander around the room, doing whatever the fuck he wants to. Based on how he's been acting all day though, it can't be good.

The unwanted guests, who were both forced to come here by their own parents, both sit in chairs brought in from the basement. Typical dining chairs, made from oak wood.

The first guest, is the ever arrogant Blue, today he looks to be even more arrogant than usual though. Perhaps he feels he has a reason to be even more superior to others, despite the fact that the others all have a Pokémon of their own now.

Sitting next to him, in an identical chair, sits Yellow. For once she has her hood down today, revealing her black pigtails to the world. Like her friend Blue, she too looks to be in a better than average mood today. Her hood wriggles every so often, is if there's something inside it, trying to sleep.

Both Delia and Mimey have taken their usual seats in their armchairs, they both sense the tension between the children, and fear a fight will break out between them if something isn't done soon. Unlike the others Lucario doesn't wish to sit, he prefers to stand with his Bone Rush walking stick between his paws.

Neither of the twins can tell why Blue and Yellow look even worse than usual, if either of them had full control over their Aura, they could easily use it to reach out at feel their Aura. This would allow them to see what's making them act so strangely.

But they don't, and they can't without meditating first, which isn't an option either. So they have to find out the old fashioned way. "What's with you two anyway?" Lily spat venomously.

"Yeah Dickweed, why're you looking so pleased with yourself?" Red added with an equal amount of venom.

"REDMUD KETCHUM!" Delia cried out in humiliation. "BE NICE TO OUR GUESTS!" She demanded firmly.

"I didn't do nothin'!" He quickly retorted without thought. "Did I?"

Blue screws his face up rage at the mention of the nickname he hates so dearly, filling his face with wrinkles in the process. Lily snickers silently at this look, thinking he looks even older than her Grampa. "DON'T CALL ME DICKWEED!"

The girls with the pink bows giggle silently into their hands, trying hard not to laugh. _"He looks like a pineapple"_ Charla giggled. She can't help but think that a good Ember would cut his hair down to size.

After a moment of thought, Red finally realises what he's done. Calling Blue Dickweed is something he's done for as long as he can remember; it's natural and normal for him now. It's gotten to the point where he often forgets that it's not his real name, so it stands to reason that he forgets that Blue hates to be called Dickweed.

Despite this realisation, Red refuses to apologise for the name. He acknowledges that he made a mistake, but refuses to apologise for it. This is as close to an apology that Blue'll ever get from either of the twins, neither of them ever apologises to either him or Yellow, no matter what.

Leaning back in his seat, Blue reaches into his pocket and gives his rival a cocky grin. "How about we settle this, you and me, end this crap once and for all"

His words capture the attention of them all, drawing in their interest further. His hand catches Lucario's eye, while the others are focused on the smug grin across his face, he watches him slide a small ball out from it. _"It seems P. Oak gave them all partners"_ A ghost of a smile appears on his face, as he thinks. _"I see a battle on the horizon"_

Blue raises the expanding Pokéball up to eye level, effectively drawing the attention of everyone once again. "We're goanna battle and we're goanna settle this crap once and for all. We've both got Pokémon now, so we're goanna battle… Unless you're afraid to lose"

A tremendous surge of rage floods through Charmander, forcing him away from his other activities to snarl at his challenger. _"YOU WAN' A PIECE O' ME?! YOU WAN' A PIECE?!"_

Drawing on his own pang of anger, Red bolts to his feet, his fists clenched and his face screwed up in rage. "Outside. Now" He spat. "We ain't goanna take that shit. Let's introduce your ass to our feet"

* * *

The two challengers stand at either sides of the garden, their backs face off against the plant life and wooden fencing. Those who are here to watch the impending battle stand before the sliding doors and walls, each of them is eager to see the first battle between these two new trainers.

Charmander stands beside Red; his anger towards this shit head has blinded him to his previous anger towards his trainer. _"I will murder anyone you pit against me Dickweed. Kiss their ass goodbye"_

Blue holds his Pokéball tightly in his grasp, a nervous sweat rolls down his neck. He knows all too well that Red's no ordinary opponent, although it hurts to admit it, Red's a dam good battler. Red's the only one who's ever beaten him before, his sister came close once, but Red remains the only one. That being said, it's not like he's never beaten him before, their track records about even.

He'll have to bring his A game to win this battle, but he does have the type advantage.

Lily stands at the edge of spectator space, eager to see that smug grin get wiped off Blue's face once and for all. What she wouldn't give to be able to wipe it off herself, but at least it's Red that'll do it.

The hood hanging from Yellow's neck wriggles further, as the soul inside awakens from their slumber. A pair of yellow and black ears poke out from the depths, belonging to a small yellow rodent like Pokémon who pokes her head out of the hood completely and yawns slightly. _"Can I come out now? I'm bored"_ The Pikachu whined.

Yellow herself quickly scoops out her Pikachu and holds her in her arms. "What's the matter Pi? You wanna watch the battle?" She chimed in a girly voice.

Pi, the Electric type mouse, nods her head eagerly. Both the girls in yellow turn their attention to the impending battle. Their conversation hasn't gone unnoticed though; all those here turn to face them. With the exceptions of the boys who are readying themselves for battle.

Lily squeezes Torchic tighter, sending more of his natural heat through her young body. "So you got stuck with her did you? You've got my sympathies" She said with a genuine sympathetic tone.

Yellows eyes shut themselves, as her pointed nose rises up into the air. "How dare you talk about Pi like that" She snapped back.

"I was talking _to_ Pi, not you" Lily retorted with a smirk. "Doesn't matter anyway, Torchic's much cuter"

Ignoring the snide comment, both Pi and Yellow raise their noses into the air higher, showing off their superiority. "Ignore her Pi, you're much cuter than that walking bucket of KFC" She said with venom. _"Extra crispy"_ Pi added.

Curiosity sparks up in Serena's mind, why does Yellow have a Pikachu? She always thought new trainers in Kanto had to pick from Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle, how could she end up with a Pikachu? She quickly voices these questions, much to the Pikachu Princesses distaste.

Both the girls in yellow turn their attention to the battle, as Lucario steps forwards to announce the rules of this battle. "If you must know P. Oak gave her to me because he knows Pikachu is my favourite Pokémon. He had her in reserve in case he ever ran out of starter Pokémon and new trainer _had_ to have a Pokémon"

Pi the Pikachu gives both the blonde haired girls and the Pokémon in their arms death glares, while her cheeks crackle with electricity, threating to arc off and fry them all. Clearly her trainer has been poisoning her mind towards them all, even before they first met.

The oldest of them all steps forwards, to the edge of the battlefield, dissolving away his walking stick he raises his arms out either side of him. _"I will be refereeing this battle. Each side may use one Pokémon; the battle will end when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle. Are these rules understood?"_

His strong and capable voice ends all other discussions, all eyes focus on the battle, on the boys, who each nod their head.

" _Very well then, let the battle begin!"_ Lucario yelled with pride.

Thrusting his fist forwards, as a confident smirk crawls across his face, Red sends out his only Pokémon. "CHARMANDER! STAND BY FOR BATTLE!"

The Fire starter performs a forward flip through the air, before planting his feet firmly into the earth before his trainer. With his claws raised and his teeth bared, Charmander growls a death threat to his unseen opponent.

Without uttering a word, Blue hurls his Pokéball through the air to release the Pokémon within. In a flash of white light, a tiny turtle like Pokémon lands before him, baring the same smug grin as his trainer.

His soft body is mostly withdrawn into the shell covering his torso; only his head, arms and legs are exposed and vulnerable. The back of his shell is light brown, while the underside is beige. The two colours are divided by a white trim, which resembles glue to hold the two halves together. his small round eyes are red, reflecting arrogance and confidence. This Squirtle's personality seems to match that of Blue.

Squirtle examines his opponent, the first to fall to his power. _"Really? You're my first victim? You won't take a single Bubble"_

The Fire lizard's growl deepens, as thick black smoke pours from his nostrils. _"… I will fucking eat you"_ His eyes rolls towards Red. _"I'll listen to you for now, screw up and I'll claw your eyes out. Now, let's destroy this walking soup mix"_

"OK Squirtle, let's kick things off with a Bubble"

"Charmander counter with Scratch! Destroy 'em!"

The mouth of the Water type expels a loose stream of bubbles, making their way towards the Fire type. Charmander runs straight towards the super effective attack, slashing and clawing his way through the seemingly endless stream of bubbles.

"No defence, just like always" Blue thought. "I need to avoid a head on battle, even with a type disadvantage; he'll be able to take control"

Squirtle maintains his attack, as his opponent gets closer and closer, while only taking minimal damage. He looks towards his trainer, searching for guidance and a command to follow.

"Ha, like clawing at water's goanna do anything. Use Rapid Spin to deflect the bubbles into the air!"

"Tuck your tail in and jump into the air! HANG TOUGH!"

Squirtle retreats into his protective shell, he spins himself forwards and into his previous attack. The bubbles slide off his hard shell effortlessly, sending them flying up into the air, to create a veil of sparkling bubbles. Charmander narrowly avoids the Rapid spin, but he's defenceless against the first attack. But by tucking in hail tail, his flame is protected from the water.

"Quick! Ember!" The moment he's free form the bubbles, Charmander swings himself around to launch several small flames from the tip of his tail towards the still spinning Squirtle. The flames slide off his protective shell without causing any damage.

Both Pokémon replant their feet into solid earth, on opposite sides of the battlefield, before the trainer who is not theirs.

"QUICK! While he's weak, use Rapid spin again!"

"Grab his shell and use Growl!"

Squirtle's spinning shell collides with Charmander's hands, dealing damage in the process. The Fire lizard holds his ground, refusing to back down and bow to the pain. He uses Growl as he digs his feet in harder, gradually Squirtle's attack loses more and more power, slowing him down and giving Charmander the chance he needs to counter.

"GREAT JOB! Let's cook 'im! Ember _inside_ his shell!"

Drawing a demonic grin across his face, Charmander spins on the spot to hurl Squirtle into the air. _"I'm goanna enjoy this!"_ With that he swings his tail around, sending more flames into the sky towards the tiny turtle. Most of the flames collide with the shell, missing their mark, 'causing them to slide off without causing any harm.

Refusing to let this walking soup mix win, Charmander launches a second wave of Embers up at his opponent, this time they hit their mark.

Roaring flames explodes from the inside of the turtle Pokémon, an attack hitting his weak point like that will cause massive damage, regardless of the typing. He falls to the grounds, his limbs covered in soot and burns.

"Squirtle get up! Get up and use Water Gun!"

"Charmander, I know you're weak to it, but trust me and charge into it!"

Squirtle clambers to his feet, weakened more than he thought he'd have been from an attack like that. Charmander's face expresses his doubts at this command, he turns towards his trainer. _"Have you lost your tiny mind?!"_

"JUST TRUST ME!" He retorted firmly and commandingly, it's not a request.

Squirtle recovers enough to stand and lose a tight stream of water directly at his opponent. Charmander's attention snaps back to the battle, the momentary lap in concentration has cost him dearly. The water smashes into his face, dealing massive damage and pushing him back. "Charmander PUSH ON THROUGH!" Red encouraged.

"Are you just that desperate to lose?" Blue thought. "No, no you've never backed down before, you're planning something"

Despite the pain from the super effective attack, Charmander refuses to back down, Red's command makes no sense, but it's all he got right now. He forces himself to push through the pain, to fight through the water and reach enemy. "DO IT CHARMANDER! PUSH ON THROUGH! YOU CAN BEAT THIS GUY! USE YOUR ANGER!"

Red's words echo through Charmander's mind, use his anger? What's that supposed to mean?

The water continues to flow, continues to batter and bruise his flesh, continues to hurt him horribly. Despite this though, he holds strong and pushes on, he can't give up and lose.

" _I can't. I can't. I can't… I WON'T!"_ He snarled. _"YOU WON'T BEAT ME!"_

Squirtle's injuries catch up with him; he needs a break from the attack. The Water Gun dies, leaving both of them breathless. _"What's the matter match stick? Getting tired?"_ Charmander simply growls in response, every word burns inside his heart, turning it into a burning fire of rage.

Lucario's advanced senses pick up of the rage flowing through Charmander, burning inside of him. As an Aura Pokémon, he is far more in tune with other being emotions, he can literally feel the rage flowing through him. _"Come on Charmander, kick it up a notch. Your anger is how you'll get your deepest power, come on use it"_ He thought with an expressionless face.

Red grinds teeth in frustration; he knows Charmander has more than this in him, he felt it when they were fighting before. He has a lot more power; he just needs to tap into it. How can he help him reach it? What's different now?

Then it hits him, earlier their fight was close range where he could sink his teeth into him, that's it. At a distance Squirtle has the advantage; he needs to close the gap between them to give Charmander the advantage again.

"Charmander! Use Ember, but run while you do it!" He called out confidently, with a fist pump for extra effect.

Fuelled by his burning rage, Charmander sprints forwards, swinging his tail around to launch Ember attacks as he does. The water covered grass and ground prevents a fire from breaking out.

"Like that's goanna do anything, Squirtle use Water Gun, put out his fire for good"

Squirtle takes aim and draws a breath, before he's able to launch his attack a flurry of flames race towards him, forcing him to move from his spot and begin his attack again. While he does, Charmander gets closer and closer to him, his pace quickening once again. Squirtle can't even begin his attack, let alone land it.

On the side lines both Serena and Charla watch with eager interest. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, Charmander's actually starting to take control of the battle. "He's found a way to turn the tables on him, using an attack as a defence" She commented.

Lily nods her head in agreement. "If Squirtle can't stand still, then he can't use an attack. This is Red's battle style in action, he doesn't bother with defence, he thinks the best way to defend is to keep attacking"

Squirtle begins to panic, he can't get the time he needs to counter attack. But now it's too late, Charmander has reached him. The lizard smirks darkly, as the turtle sweatdrops. _"Hello soup mix"_

"END THIS WITH SCRATCH!"

Raking his claws across every exposed extremity, Charmander attacks with the furry of an erupting volcano. Despite the pain, Squirtle finds he has the chance to attack now, Blue realises this too and makes his move. "NOW USE WATER GUN!"

A faint smirk falls across Red's face. "(Charmander, listen carefully. First, don't panic. It's me, Red. Trust me here, take the attack head on and keep attacking)" He said via Aura Message.

To say Charmander's freaked out by the voice of his trainer inside his head is an understatement, but his attention is firmly focused on the jet of water being sprayed into his face. He holds his ground and continues to attack with Scratch. While his attack has lost a little steam, it's still strong enough to deal damage.

Blue's jaw hangs open in shock, how the Hell can this thing still be standing? Let alone dealing damage… He hasn't got a choice now; he's got to play this defensively. "Retreat Squirtle! Use Withdraw!"

The faint smirk across Red's face bursts out and grows into a demonic grin. That's exactly what he wanted.

To avoid the deadly barrage of claws, Squirtle retreats his external limbs into his shell and drops to the ground. Without thought, Charmander turns to Red for guidance, for a new command.

Red's grin catches his eye, causing a copy of it to fall across his own face. No words need to be said for the two of them to understand each other right now, but they'll definitely help. _"You psychotic bastard… I like your style"_

With another fist pump, Red gives his next command. "Do what you do best buddy, BITE HIS ASS!"

A wave of shocked and horrified expressions break out across the side lines, along with various cries of 'What?', 'Is he serious?' and of course 'What the fuck?'.

The Fire starter happily turns his attention back to his opponent, without wasting a second he dives into his shell, using the opening for his tail. Within seconds the upper half of his torso, including his head and arms, are lost in the depths of the brown shell.

Not a second Later Squirtle's head bursts out of his shell, tears of pain pool in the corners of his eyes. _"WHAT THE FUCK?! HE'S BITING MY ASS!"_ He cried out in agony.

The children on the side lines, including the Pokémon, stare at the sight before them. Those who are supporting Red burst out laughing; the sight before them couldn't be funnier for them. While the two supporting Blue and Squirtle can only watch in horror, their eyes shrink to the size of pinheads as a cold sweat runs down their faces.

Blue's jaw hangs open at the sight before him; his Squirtle has a lizard stuck in his shell… How the fuck did this happen? This was supposed to be a battle, now he's not even sure what this is. "I think I'm too young to be watching this" He thought.

Charmander hoists himself into a standing position, along with his helpless prey, whose fleshly hide he is still chewing on. "Charmander! Let's end this now! Throw him into the air and fill him with fire! Ember!"

Charmander has better ideas though, rather than simply throw his opponent off, he's going to blast him off. He stumbles around, trying to get a good grip on the ground as well as aim himself.

"Squirtle! Rapid Spin!" Blue commanded desperately.

Squirtle's in too much pain to be able to listen, under his shell his body is very sensitive, having it chewed on like this causes more pain than he can handle. Blue grinds his teeth, he's screwed now, Squirtle can't attack until Charmander lets him go. All he can do is wait for a chance to counter.

Somehow, Red knows what Charmander's trying to do and he knows how to help him. He's not goanna question this rush of knowledge, he's goanna use it. "Charmander! Listen to me! Turn to your left, dig your heels in and press your tail into the grass! THEN LET 'ER RIP!"

Charmander does as he says; turning to his left he faces the pond. "AIM A LITTLE LOWER!" He added to the command. The Fire starter takes aim, digs his heels into the earth, giving him better hold over his footing. Using his tail as a balance, he finds himself able to launch his victim.

Thrusting his fist forwards one final time, Red roars his last command. "FLAMETHROWER!"

With the final command issued, Charmander expels the deepest flames from his heart, fuelled by his rage, he learns Flamethrower. Squirtle is launched from his torso and body, with fire flowing freely from the back of his shell, he resembles a turtle shaped firework. _"SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!"_

His head tears through the air like a rocket, splitting the world apart as he flies faster than the eye can follow, coming to an abrupt end when his head collides with the large rocks at the back of the pond.

Despite this, the flames from young Charmander's jaws continue to fly. Before long they swallow the tiny turtle whole, burning his every extremity as well as the surrounding rocks to a crisp. When the flames finally die, Squirtle is stuck to the rock surface, burned but still conscious. _"Hehehehe… I'm not… Not… Ugh"_ He drops from the rocks to disturb the beautiful surface of the pond.

With loud plop, he disappears beneath its rippling surface, leaving a large Squirtle shaped scorch mark across the surface of the rocks. All eyes watch with eager interest and baited breath, waiting impatiently for him to resurface. As he does, it becomes apparent that he has been defeated, his eyes are swirly and he is unconscious.

Lucario raises his arms out like a referee. _"That's it! Squirtle is unable to battle; the winners of this battle are Charmander and Red!"_ He called out, pride echoing through his voice.

Charmander pants heavily, he's exhausted and can barely stand. The damage he took has taken a lot out of him, more than he thought it had. But he's barely registering the pain and fatigue in his body, he's dumbstruck, did that old guy really just say he won?

Like his Pokémon, Red too is tired but barely feels it, he's also dumbstruck by the fact they actually won. What happened there? He wasn't even thinking, he was just so focused on the battle, it's like there was nothing else but the battle… How did he know Charmander could use Flamethrower?

Regardless, he and Charmander won their first battle together, their first _real_ battle. The two of them turn to face each other, each staring at the other in shock, questioning themselves on how they were able to do that. It's like they were in sync, that they could feel the battle through each other's perspective and knew what the other was going to say and do.

Charmander's had his share of trainers in his short life, he's battled with all of them, but he's never had a battle like that before… Hell he's never even _won_ a battle before.

From the side lines, young Lily jumps up and down on the spot with Torchic in her arms, the pair of them cry out in victory. "YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! IN YOUR FACE DICKWEED! MY BROTHER WON!"

Pride swells within Lucario as well as Delia, the both of them are very pleased with the way he battled, you wouldn't have been able to guess he's not a seasoned trainer.

Unlike the others, Yellow and Pi pout in disappointment. "BLUE! You were supposed to win!" She moaned.

The cheeks of young Serena burn brighter than they ever have before, never before has she felt shivers down her spine the way she's feeling them now. Her heart's beating harder and harder, as if it's going to break free from the confines of her chest and perform a dance across the ground. Her arms tighten against her chest, squishing the impressed Charla slightly in the process.

The blood in her face goes unnoticed by most, but not her friend Lily.

Charmander's pain quickly returns to him, forcing him to his knees. Red slowly makes his way to his side, crouching down to be at his level. "You alright?" He casually asked, without making any attempt at contact. Charmander pants slightly, but rolls his eyes onto his trainer.

He nods his head at him, but offers no other form of answer. Red simply smiles at him. "You did real good there Charmander, real good. I'm proud of you"

Charmander's eyes open wide; he lifts his head and faces him head on. _"What did you say?"_

* * *

"(Serena my brother's _very_ dense, I mean Slowbro dense. Hints aren't going to cut it, ever)" Lily said to Serena.

Serena's blush deepens at the voice in her head; she gives no outward signs of the Message, other than squeezing Charla tighter, to the point where she's beginning to cut her air off. Remembering what they told her about Messages, she's able to reply to her by simply thinking. "(Am I _that_ obvious?… Why hasn't he noticed yet?"

A light smirk pokes through Lily's face as the reply comes into her mind, didn't she just say that? "(Yeah, everyone knows about it except him, Hell even Charla knows it. You can see it in your face whenever you look at him. As I said though, he hasn't noticed because he's DENSE!… If you want him to know how you feel, you need to do something big to get his attention… Or you could just keep blushing around him all the time, maybe he'll figure it out eventually)"

Little Charla squirms in Serena's arms, struggling to push her arms off her enough to let her breathe, but her death grip holds strong. _"Can't breathe"_ She rasped. _"Help. Let me breathe"_

So absorbed in her thoughts and talk with Lily, Serena doesn't notice Charla or her growls for air. "(You… You don't mind that I like him?)"

"(Why would I? It's none of my business who my brother likes or who likes my brother. Wouldn't want him doing the same to me… Anyway, when're you goanna tell him?)"

Charla's face begins to turn blue from lack of oxygen. "(I want to tell him… But I'm scared; scared he'll reject me and won't want to be friends anymore)"

* * *

Charmander's eyes fill with hope; hope that for once in his life someone has actually praised him. _"What did you say?"_

Despite not being able to understand his words, Red can understand what it is he wants from him. He gently and cautiously puts his hand on Charmander's back, offering him some comfort. "I'm proud of you; you did a really great job"

Did his ears deceive him, or did this kid just tell him he did good? Memories of his former trainers pass through his mind, whenever he lost a battle he'd always be blamed for it, some of them even beat him for it. Not once has he ever been told he's done a good job.

He hasn't even realised that Red's touching him; all he knows is that someone's actually being nice to him. A smile is born from the happiness flowing through him, he waddles a little closer to him. _"I've gotta admit, you're a decent battler"_ He sighs heavily and crosses his arms. _"Get it over with"_

Expecting Red to scoop him up and hug him tightly, Charmander grinds his teeth and gets ready to endure the oncoming onslaught of affection. After a moment, he opens his eyes to find he hasn't even tried to hug him; he's just smiling at him. "How about we get you some berries? You must be hungry"

* * *

Serena's words of fear linger in Lily's mind; fear is a touchy subject for both her and her brother. He lives every day of his life in fear, the fear of being possessed by the Beast, this fear extends to the entire family as they're in even more danger than he is from it.

They've each found ways to deal with this fear; they've found ways to live with it. "(Serena, you can't let fear rule your life. Red taught me that. You need to find a way to get past this fear, so you don't let it hold you back and stop you from living your life)" She said firmly.

A subconscious smile slips onto Serena's face, deep down she knows Lily's right, she can't let fear hold her back… But that doesn't mean she'll just tell the world how she feels. Now her thoughts have been appeased, she finally realises that she's suffocating Charla. She instantly cries out that she's sorry and releases her, Charla doesn't waste a second, instantly gulping down as many lung fulls of air as she possibly can.

* * *

Several hours have gone by since the battle between rivals; both the Fire and Water starters were healed shortly after the battle's end, Lucario may be old but his Heal Pulse works as well as ever. To both restore their energy and fill their bellies, Red and Blue gave them some Orans.

Squirtle ate, despite the trauma he felt from that battle. Losing isn't the best feeling in the world, but that's not what has him so traumatised. Being humiliated in such a horrible way has left his psyche scared forever; he'll probably need years of therapy to get over it. That won't be cheap.

Ever since the battle, and Red's kind praise, Charmander's been acting differently towards his trainer. He's been far less aggressive, in terms of trying to cause harm to him anyway, he's also done kind things for him. There's no way anyone could ever call him a kind Pokémon, he's still rude and aggressive to everyone, especially Charla. But there's been a distinctive cut in his attempts to deliberately hurt everyone; he's acting more like the twins do when they fight. He's acting as though he's trying to have fun, rather than hurt them.

The twins were given their presents, amongst the things they were given, they each received a set of special clothes in which to train in. Both sets are similar, yet unique. Their surface looks silky, yet very sturdy with a design stitched across their backs.

The set given to Red has two colours; the main body is deep crimson, almost blood red. The shirt is completely sleeveless, with black tassel ties that hold it shut, acting as buttons. These tassels begin at the collar, and drop down to the bottom, which hangs around the wait. The collar is raised to circle the neck and throat, a single tassel tie can be used to hold the collar shut, or leave it open.

The pants hang loose around the legs, stopping at the ankle. Designed to allow the wearer to fight with kicks, both high and low, without restricting their movements. A black trim surrounds both the shirt and pants, tying their folds together without sacrificing design.

Because the shirt and pants are designed to allow free movement, they hang loose across the body. To compensate for this a piece of black material, made from the same material as the main clothing, is used as a belt to prevent them from flying around erratically.

The emblem across the back of his shirt takes up most of the surface, not quite all of it, but most of it. The emblem itself is that of a Charizard in mid-flight, its mighty jaws are open to allow an incredible Flamethrower to flow freely. A smaller emblem resides on the front as well, across the right side beneath the shoulder. Resembling a burning flame, a flame which cannot be extinguished. Beneath the flame sits a small pocket, deep enough for Pokéballs to be stored, but not much else.

 **(A/N Think of Asian Kung Fu clothing)**

The set that Lily received were similar, but separate, styled like her brother's. Perhaps they are both born from the same concept, but styled to fit each gender.

Her shirt has short sleeves which barely go past her shoulders. Like his, hers also have two colours; the main body of them is pure white. The tassel ties which hold her shirt closed are pastel pink; they begin in the centre of the collar, which is the same as Red's. These tassels climb down the left side of the chest and down the side. This shirt also goes down past the waist. The left side of this shirt is divided by the tassels; the small section that is created by the division is coloured pastel pink.

The pants are styled the same as Red's set; the colour is the only difference, being white with a pastel pink trim. This set also has a piece of material to act as a belt, pastel pink in colour.

The emblem attached to the back is very different to Red's, as it's a Blaziken it's to be expected. This Pokémon stands on its left leg, with its right fully extended in a powerful kick. Finally, it's wrists are aflame; this Blaziken is in the midst of a fierce battle.

While neither Blue nor Yellow understood why someone would give clothes as a birthday present, they were more confused by the reaction the twins gave. They were ecstatic over them, thanking their Mom over and over again, to the point where Delia was asking who they were and what they'd done with her children, who are never polite.

The rest of the special day went by better than Delia and Mimey had hoped it would, there were barely any arguments or fights all day. For once the children got on fairly well together; there was the occasional snide comment, but nothing serious.

Lily even started a food fight with everyone, as she does each and every year, which the others happily joined in on. While neither Delia nor Mimey were happy about the mess, or the fact that the food they made was freely thrown around like that, they were happy to see them all happy.

Now though the party is winding down, the sun's starting to get low. Not so low that the sky's colour is changing, but low enough to be clearly seen in the sky from a window.

* * *

 **Knock knock knock**

The sound of someone else at the door echoes throughout the living room once again, this time Delia is the one to answer the call. She greets a man with a large camera draped around his neck, and what looks like a large suitcase filled with photography equipment in his hand.

She offers him a friendly smile. "Hello, can I help you?" She has an idea who this man is, but sees no reason to tell him who she's expecting.

A nervous sweat rolls down his face, as well as a look of embarrassment. "I sure hope so, this is the fourth house I've been to… I can't navigate a small town like this. I'm looking for the Ketchum's residence; the Yvonne's hired me to take a group photo for a birthday. Please tell me I'm in the right place this time"

She giggles into her palm slightly, before confirming he's at the right place. She quickly checks his I.D. then ushers him and everyone else into the garden, to set up for the photo.

* * *

The photographer stands before the sliding doors, his camera set up on a tri-pod. He seems to be making some adjustments to better suit the scene, as well as his subjects. His briefcase lies open next to him, on a small silver table, inside various photography equipment resides, along with a small printer with a few sheets of photo paper inside.

The group stands before the pond, ready to take the picture. As it's the twins' birthday, they stand in the centre. As you look at them all, Red stands on the right side, while Lily's on the left. Lily's arms hold her beloved Torchic tightly; the two of them are eagerly waiting for this picture. Charmander is taking a less kind approach to this picture, he's biting down on Red's head. Most of his body is hidden behind Red's head, only his head can be seen. Serena stands next to Red, closer to him than even Lily is, she's practically leaning on him. She's holding Charla in her arms; the two of them are rubbing their cheeks together affectionately once again.

The extra unwanted guests stand on the left side, next to Lily. Blue stands directly next to the birthday girl, with Squirtle standing at his feet. Standing beside him is Yellow, with Pi sitting in her hood once again with her face, arms and tail clearly visible.

The eldest of the family stands behind his grandchildren, his arms draped around them both to hug them simultaneously, with his wrinkled face poking out between them both. Delia stands behind her daughter, with both her arms wrapped around her to hug her tightly. Mimey stands next to Serena, with his left arm raised to wave.

* * *

The picture has been taken, six copies where printed out. One for each of the children and an extra for Delia, Lucario and Mimey. Each of them examines their picture, taking in the sight of them all together; each of them has their own reaction.

The eyes of both young Serena and Charla sparkle in delight, they couldn't be happier with the way the picture turned out. In that moment, Serena decides the frame it, so it'll stay this perfect forever… Well once she gets rid of Blue and Yellow. The twins are both very pleased with their gift from their friend, but like her they also want to destroy the part with their unwanted 'guests' in it, Charmander has kindly agreed to eat it for them.

Unlike the others, Blue couldn't care less about it, he's already screwed it up to throw it away. Despite the comments she has heard, Yellow actually wants to keep the picture, although she only seeks the part of herself and Pi.

As they make their way inside again, so that Blue and Yellow can finally leave and the other children can talk, Charla notices Serena's developing blush whenever she's with Red. Drawing a devious smirk across her face, she breaks out into a bout of giggles. _"Why do I feel like I'm in a cliché love story? You've got a crush on him and he doesn't realise it… Seriously overdone"_

The final hours the friends had together was spent with them informing their Pokémon on the Knights and their training, of what they'll all become one day. Torchic and Charmander were both very eager to join in on the training, Charla was interested too, but she understood she'd have to wait until Serena could also learn.

Before they left, Serena and Charla asked to join the twins when they had their next training session, seeing no harm in it, they agreed without hesitation.

* * *

 **Thank god this horrible excuse for a chapter is DONE! It's not the best, but next chapter'll make up for it. Trust the mad man, it's A LOT better!**

 **The title is, I am the Beast, so yeah you can probably guess what it's about. Trust me, it's a good chapter.**

 **This Arc'll be done with chapter 5, it's a sad chapter… Just imagine some sad violin music. Eh, who cares? Chapter 4's next not 5.**

 **I'll start using music as of next chapter; I recommend YouTubing the song as I put them in for a reason.**

 **As always guys drop a review and most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	4. I am the Beast

**Chapter 4: I am the Beast**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to Wolfblade84 and Nightgale45, thanks for the reviews and the support!**

 **Last chapter wasn't the best, but this chapter makes up for it. Read on for yourselves, you will see the creature Red fears above all others.**

 **Disclaimer: (Sitting in a foam padded room) I DON'T OWN POKEMON! But I will… Hehehehehehehehehehehehe… One day I will… When I am hit by a meteor and gain SUPER POWERS!**

 **Edit: OK guys I've gone back and rewritten this chapter, it's very different to what it was and is worth taking a second look at – 3/5/16**

* * *

 **Previously**

Red had the strangest dream he'd ever had in his short life, seeing himself speaking with a tiny baby Pokémon. He awoke to find it was his and his sister's birthday, and their gifts included a pair of Pokémon.

But they weren't the only ones to receive this gift from P. Oak, Serena, Blue and Yellow all got their first Pokémon.

The ever arrogant Blue challenged Red to a battle, believing he had enough of an advantage with his Water type to defeat Red's Fire type. The battle came to an end, when Red's Charmander turned Blue's Squirtle into a turtle shaped firework.

As the day came to an end, both the twins agreed to letting Serena join them in their training session, which begins today.

* * *

" _Master, today is the day. Is it not?"_ Gallade asked. _"The day we must fight once more"_

Luke's uncovered face reflects his fear and his dread of this day. With a stiff nod of his head, he answers his partner's question. "Remember, Red is innocent in all this. You can't kill him; we just need to knock him out. Understand?" Despite his overwhelming fear, his voice remains strong.

The blade Pokémon breaks his meditative pose, to glare at his partner. Even in the low light conditions of the Viridian forest, his death glare can easily be seen. _"If we kill him, we can stop its evil before it breaks free again. Think about it, how many lives will we save? One? Ten? A hundred? A THOUSAND?!"_

Luke remains disciplined, refusing to break his own meditative pose. The anger and hatred in his voice is enough to tell him he won't obey his orders. "Gallade y-" He is interrupted before he can even start.

" _NO! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR BULLSHIT!"_ He angrily screeched as he jumped to his feet. _"Last time I listened to you about this, and look what happened! Innocent Pokémon were slaughtered for nothing! I won't let that happen again. No matter the cost, the Beast will die today"_

Finally Luke breaks his meditation, to look upon his partner with a death glare of his own. "I will fucking beat you down if I have to. Now shut up and listen to me" He spat with rage. "I want that thing dead as much as you do, but if we hurt Red to do it, then we're no better than it is"

Gallade's overpowering rage breaks through his flesh, forcing a vein to throb on his forehead. His talons extend themselves, ready to spill blood and split the heads of his enemies. _"We make sacrifices so others don't have to. If we sacrifice him, then we can save countless from it, I for one think that's a worthy sacrifice"_ He growled. _"You're just a coward, too afraid to do what must be done"_

His jab of anger cuts Luke cuts him deeply, forcing him to his feet as well. "A COWARD?! A **COWARD?! AM I COWARD?!** " He roared into Gallade's face. "A coward wouldn't _choose_ to fight the Beast; a coward would run and hide from it. A mother fucking coward would kill a defenceless child, to protect himself from something he doesn't want to fight. Look in the mirror, before you accuse me of being a coward… You made the same choice as I did, we're both cowards"

Silence follows his rage induced outburst, giving them both a moment to calm themselves and think more clearly. Gallade turns away from his Master, bowing his head in shame. _"You're right Master. I am a coward"_ He whispered to himself more than Luke. _"But I will do what I have to, to protect Lily from him"_

The Knight turns his back on his partner, crossing his arms under his black cloak of fur. "And I will do everything _I_ must do, to protect him from you. He's as innocent in all this as the rest of them, and I won't let you kill an innocent child"

" _Innocent or not, the fact remains that he is dangerous"_ He lifts his head as he speaks. _"So long as the Beast lives, he as dangerous at it is. He's nothing but a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode and kill us all"_

Gallade's words stab into Luke's heart, as much he hates to think of his Apprentice like that, he can't deny that he's telling the truth. So long as the Beast remains inside of him, he is incredibly dangerous. It can possess him at any time, and when it does, there's no stopping it.

With a heavy sigh, Luke drops back to the plant covered earth and returns to his meditation. He and Gallade have little time left to prepare, they must use it to focus their powers rather than fight with each other. Thinking the same thing as his Master, Gallade too returns to his meditation.

Several minutes of silence pass, during which neither of them makes even the faintest of movements. Their minds focus, augmenting their stores of power and discipline. Finally Gallade makes a movement, all be it a subtle one; his talons finally retract into his arms once again. _"Master, how long till they reach us?"_

Having been searching for them, Luke's able to answer the question in a heartbeat. "I'd say around ten minutes, but there's a complication. They've brought Serena with them" A hint of panic lingers in his voice. "They probably want to show her what training she'll undergo"

The face of Psychic/Fighting Pokémon floods with fear, allowing sweat to trickles down his face and neck. _"No. No not another one, it's bad enough Lily must be here, we can't risk another child. Is there a way to warn them?"_

Luke can only shake his head in frustration, he's tried and tried to think of a way to warn them all, but if he does then he would sentencing them to death. In his vision, he saw that the Beast was targeting him and Gallade, if he warns them that it's going to possess Red he'll be telling the Beast that he's onto it.

If the Beast feels threatened, then god only knows what it could do. At the very least, it would possess him sooner and slaughter everything it sees. It's a risk that just can't be taken.

"Gallade, we've been partners since we were children. Do you honestly think that if there were a way to warn them, I wouldn't have already done it?" He asked with a depressed tone. "We have no choice; they must come to us… Then we must beat Red within an inch of his life, to prevent the release of the Beast. May god forgive us for what we must do"

* * *

Elsewhere, three hyperactive children eagerly make their way through the bustling streets of Viridian, on their way to the neighbouring forest to meet with the Knights who will train them today.

"Hurry up you two! You're so slow!" Lily cried out to both her brother and friend.

Quickly closing the short gap between them, both Red and Serena push themselves harder to try and match Lily's speed. "We're coming! Geeze" She called back.

"The sun's been up for _ages!_ " Lily whined as she passed the Pokémon centre, quickly followed by both her tag alongs. "I wanna get there _today_ "

The gentle breeze of autumn rolls through the streets, rippling through the hair of the children, and ruffling their new clothes. As promised, the twins are wearing the clothes they got for their eighth birthday today, if nothing else it'll let them change into their normal clothes once they're done. As Delia expected when she bought them, these clothes hangs freely from their thin and scrawny frames, allowing them to move without restriction while preserving their modesty and dignity. Serena's dressed like she normally does, with the extra addition of her pink bow. After Red's kind words, she decided to wear it on a regular basis, in the hopes that it'll make her stand out to him.

All three of the children race towards the edge of the town, the forest is coming into view now. "SHUT UP BUTT FOR BRAINS! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Red retorted angrily.

* * *

The lack of light amidst the forest affects the children far worse than it does both Luke and Gallade; to them it's almost pitch black. To safely make their way through this place, they've been force to join hands and form a chain; this will prevent them from separating and getting lost.

Red leads them all through the dense vegetation, using his feet he feels out his surroundings before taking each step. The ground is covered so thickly by plant life; it hides the rocks, fallen logs, tree roots and occasional bone pile. Any normal person would undoubtedly get hurt traveling through here alone, but since when have either of the twins been normal?

Making use of their extensive experience in the forest, Red's able to navigate them all through the vegetation with little issue. While they have to go slowly, as Serena's not built like either of them and can't handle too much of this, they eventually make their way to a large clearing, near the heart of the forest.

The tree tops open wide, allowing an ocean of warming sunlight to flow through freely and bathe the earth below. Normally this would allow plant life to grow freely within the light, but this area is used by the twins and their Masters regularly, as such the ground has been used and abused so thoroughly it can no longer support life.

Dusty earth is all that meets the soles of shoes and feet here, with the occasional rock and boulder half buried in it. Perhaps these rocks are also part of the training, or at least used in their sessions. Regardless, there is a distinctive lack of life in the area, even in the trees surrounding this place there are no visible Pokémon.

Maybe they're hiding, or simply sleeping, it makes little difference, the sounds and sights of the impending training will scare them off before long.

Now they have found the clearing they seek, they break their chain and eagerly explore their surroundings. The twins start off by releasing their Pokémon, having promised to let them watch them train today.

Torchic jumps for joy the moment he is released from his ball, eagerly chirping away. _"YAY YAY YAY!"_

Charmander takes a less joyful approach, instead of hopping around and screaming like a girl, he instantly begins a search for the ones who will be training his trainer. _"I'm looking for my trainer's trainers… That's fucked up"_

Deciding to join her friends, Serena let's Charla out. The girl version of Red's starter plops herself down on the floor, curling up on herself. _"Too early to get up… Five more minutes"_ She grumbled, only half awake.

Serena giggles into her hands at the sight before her; she crouches down and gently strokes Charla's scaly skin. "Enjoy it while you can, when Luke and Gallade get here we're goanna watch them train Red and Lily"

While they wait for their Masters arrival, the twins take a little time to stretch their muscles. Normally their training requires them to be active for long periods of time, so stretching first will prevent them from hurting themselves and will let them train for longer.

Before he's able to stretch more than his legs, indescribable pain swallows Red's head, he drops onto the ground with his eyes clamped shut. His small hands clamp down onto his skull, messing up his hair even more than it normally is. "Fuck. My head's killing me" He thought as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

His head feels as though it's a ripe melon and is being sawn in half by a rusty chainsaw. His pain goes unnoticed for a moment, as Lily's mind is focused on readying herself for training and Serena's doting on Charla.

Charmander notices his pain though, turning his attention towards him he watches for a moment with confusion. _"What's up with you?"_ But all his trainer hears is the sound of him growling his own name repeatedly.

The pain in his head intensifies and spreads down to his face, it feels like someone's driving spikes through his eyes to stab into his brain. His tears leak out of his eyes, he fights to hold them in, but they still trickle down his cheeks. "What… Why… When… The fuck's goin' on?" He mumbled.

His voice may be weak, but it's enough to carry his words to both his sister and his crush. They both abandon their tasks to focus their attention on him, just in time to see him press his face into his knees, in an attempt to block out the pain.

"What's wrong Red?" Lily asked as she and Serena scrambled to his side. "Red talk to us"

He can't answer, the pain is too strong, it has him paralysed. All traces of thought are forced from his mind; all there is to him now is his pain, the pain that grows stronger with every passing second.

Both the girls and the Pokémon all close in on him, asking various questions which he cannot answer. Inside him, deep deep inside his being, a tiny spark of darkness forms, bringing with it intense agony.

The new pain dwarfs the pain in his head, so much so that it breaks through his paralysis and forces his back to arch. He drops back, slamming his head hard on the ground, writhing in crippling agony, grunting and crying out in pain. His tears flow freely from his eyes, which remain clamped shut; he couldn't open them if he tried.

A burst of white light forms in the centre of the sunlight, blinding those who can still see and forcing them to shield their eyes. Once their eyes adjust, they're able to clearly see a pair of adult sized figures.

On the left side stands Gallade, his face firmly fixed in a death glare, aimed firmly at the child in agony. Judging by the look across his face, he wants to cleave his head in two. Standing on the right side is Luke, with his hood down to reveal his face to them all. His heavy Mightyena fur cloak shields the rest of his body from sight, but cannot shield the fear written across his face. "Shit. We're too late"

Gallade's talons extend as he takes a battle pose. _"It has begun; this is our last chance Master. We should destroy it before it can complete its possession"_ As he speaks, Luke shrugs his cloak off his shoulders, allowing it to drop to the ground. _"I see… We will wait then, and fight it"_

All eyes focus firmly on one of the adults, with the exception of Red, who's in too much pain to notice or care. Luke's frame and clothes are revealed to them all, instantly the eye is drawn to the thin chain and pendant hanging from his neck.

The chain itself is very thin; all it'd take to break it is a sharp tug. Its gold colouring gleams in the sunlight, sending sparkles across the ground. Hanging from this chain, is a tiny locket, also gold in colour, big enough to hold two tiny pictures. A stone has been set in its surface, a tiny rainbow coloured stone that sparkles in the light, in its centre a black flame like DNA strand resides. A Keystone, when combined with Gallade's Mega Stone, it unlocks the power of Mega Evolution.

What has their gazes enthralled, is the dim blue hue radiating from the chain. It's barely noticeable in the bright light, but it is there, holding their eyes hostage.

Luke's frame is average, a slight amount of muscle tone resides across his body, just enough to be noticeable. His torso is covered by a dark grey tank top, which leaves his arms free for sharp movement. A pair of black pants covers his legs; they hang freely from his frame, also allowing for quick movement without restriction. His feet are protected from the earth below by a pair of wooden soled flip flips.

As his arms are left to face the elements, the tattoos across the underside of his forearms are exposed. On each arm, he bears a black version of the symbol of the Knights.

With a crack of his neck, Luke takes a battle pose, ready to fight to defend himself and those around him. "All of you listen carefully, get to cover and don't come out no matter what" His tone is firm and commanding, leaving no room for negotiation. "NOW!"

The Pokémon and Serena all turn to Lily, searching for support and a decision. Do they obey him and hide, or do they stay here with Red? She's the only one here, who can actually say something, who knows either of them.

A raging storm of conflict rages inside Lily's young mind, her Master just gave her a direct order, but to obey him would mean abandoning her brother when he's in agony. He needs help, not to be abandoned. "Master, something's _really_ wrong with Red!" Her voice cracks with the stain of her fear. "Please, he's in pain"

Her words stone Luke's heart, as much as he wants to say he can make it better for her, there's nothing he can do. The cause of the pain is something no one can ever treat; all they can do is wait for it to end. His eyes fall shut, as his head lowers. "I know Lily, but you must do I say. All of you need to…" He trails off, as Red's screams abruptly end. "Shit"

The tear filled eyes of the boy rip open, reflecting unparalleled fear across their surface. His screams of pain finally die, giving way to a deep and savage snarl. His lips curl into his gums, revealing his teeth and allowing the snarl to be heard.

He can feel it now, the darkness inside him is growing stronger with every passing second. His body begins to betray him, refusing to do as he says, in favour of obeying the darkness. He doesn't have much time, a handful of seconds at the most, before his mind gives out.

Summoning the last shreds of strength he has left, he manages to force four words through his teeth. "Get… Away from me" He breathed through his snarl.

Without wasting a second, Serena grabs his free hand and moves in closer, allowing her to hear him clearer. "What? What'd you say?" She pleaded desperately, praying silently for his pain to end.

Rage floods through him, rage that doesn't belong to him. His eyes dart towards her; the rage deepens his snarl and rips his hand out from hers. "I said… **GET AWAY FROM ME!** " His roar sends fear down the spines of every single one of them.

Without him telling it to, his hand swings out to slap Serena. Luckily for her, she's able to avoid the strike. She falls backwards, staring at her crush with horror written across her face, why would he try to hit her?

Her answer comes quicker than she ever could have hoped; he stares at his own hand as though it doesn't belong to him. His fingers coil themselves into a fist so tight, the surface of his skin splits, allowing his blood to trickle down his arm. Instead of the normal crimson colour, his blood is as black as the night sky.

The air seems to freeze as the blood runs down his flesh, the eyes of his sister widen in horror, fear instantly has her paralysed. The others can only stare in horror and confusion, his blood is black? That's never happened before, Charmander's drawn blood more than a few times when he's bit him, but it's never been black.

His fist begins to tremble and pull itself towards the nearest living creature, going straight for the throat. A black hue leaks through the skin, swallowing his arm from the elbow onwards. " **GET AWAY FROM ME!** " He roared in a final desperate attempt to protect his friends and family.

A luminous blue shine forms around those who have been swallowed by fear, Gallade's Psychic attack lifts them all away from him and pulls them behind himself. _"You must stay away from him, Red is gone. This thing is the Beast"_

They don't even try to resist, their fear of the one they call friend has their attentions so focused they barely even notice it. However, in his haste to protect the young, Gallade missed Charmander; he's still standing at the feet of the soon to be soulless killer.

The fist surrounded in a black hue gives up its search for flesh, in favour of spreading its influence further across Red's body. Charmander's eyes shrink to the size of pin heads, as the black hue swallows his trainer whole, leaving no part of him untouched. As the final shreds of his being are swallowed, thick black smoke rises from his open mouth and eyes, taking away what little control Red has over his body.

Red's body stands up, his mind is screeching for them all to run, to get as far away from his as they can, but his mouth refuses to listen. Instead, the snarl escaping his body deepens, turning darker and more savage with every passing second. As the Beast takes full control over his young body, his flesh begins to morph, twist, and change.

 **(A/N I don't own this song, Monster by Skillet)**

 **The secret side of me**

 **I never let you see**

 **I keep it caged but I can't control it**

The auburn brown hair across the surface of his head grows darker, turning pitch black within seconds. The blood flowing through his veins loses its crimson colour, turning as black as his hair. The darkness of his blood affects his flesh, forcing the tan from his skin.

 **So stay away from me, the Beast is ugly**

 **I feel the rage and I just can't hold it**

In a flash his flesh turns a dull shade of grey, mimicking the skin of the dead. The skin that protects his hands from the world continues to blacken, before long, from the wrist up, it turns as black as the soul of the Beast. His bones grow longer and thicken, forcing his muscles to grow with them. His clothes stretch against the expanding flesh, losing all of their looseness and forcing them to hug his skin.

 **It's scratching on the walls, in the closet in the halls**

 **It comes awake and I can't control it**

 **Hidin' under the bed, in my body, in my head**

He grows taller and taller; the sound of creaking bones escapes his entire frame. When he finished growing, he stands 5 feet tall, with the body build of a teenager, rather than a child. With a demonic hiss, his jaws open wide, revealing his rotting yellow teeth. More than this, his teeth sharpen and shatter, reforming themselves into a full set of razor sharp fangs. Made for the tearing and ripping of flesh.

 **Why won't somebody come and save me from this?**

 **MAKE IT END!**

 **I FEEL IT DEEP WITHIN!**

 **IT'S JUST BENEATH THE SKIN!**

 **I MUST CONFESS THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSER!**

His tongue darkens, turning a deep shade of purple. With a flick of this growing muscle, he sends strings of drool across the ground below. The tip of the fleshy organ sharpens into a fine point, giving him the perfect tool to lick blood through the tiniest of cuts.

 **I hate what I've become**

 **The nightmare's just begun**

 **I MUST CONFES THAT I FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!**

 **I, I, FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!**

 **I, I, FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!**

The child sized clothes clinging to his bulky frame begin to tear, designed and fitted for children, not the body of a teen, the rags of his shirt manage to hold onto his frame, as does his pants. Before long his legs begin to morph once more, his feet rise off the earth, balancing himself on his toes alone. His ankles and heels grow longer, mimicking the legs of a Lucario.

 **My secret side I keep, hid under lock and key**

 **I keep it caged but I can't control it**

 **Cause if I let it out**

 **It'll tear me up, break me down**

 **Why won't somebody come and save me from this?**

 **MAKE IT END!**

While his legs and feet morph, so does his face and head. His chin sharpens itself into a fine point, not unlike a fantasy video game's elven kind. His nose begins to flatten, making his nostrils grow thinner and longer, as though a piece of glass is being forced against it. When it is finished, his nose has become little more than a pair of long slits, allowing for short, sharp bursts of air.

 **I feel it deep within!**

 **It's just beneath the skin!**

 **I must confess that I feel like a monster!**

 **I hate what I've become!**

 **The nightmare's just begun!**

 **I must confess that I feel like a monster!**

His ears grow bigger, more pointed with the points rising towards the skies, seeking out the warmth of the sunlight. His bones become more flexible, allowing for movements that would otherwise be impossible, while retaining their steel like strength.

 **I, I, feel like a monster!**

 **I, I, feel like a monster!**

 **It's hidin' in the dark!**

 **It's teeth are razor sharp!**

 **There's no escape for me!**

 **It wants my soul, it wants my heart!**

To compensate for the growth of his feet, his toes grow longer, allowing him to balance effortlessly without the need for the rest of the limb. The nails at the end of his toes grow longer, turning yellow with filth.

 **No one can hear me scream**

 **Maybe it's just a dream…**

 **MAYBE IT'S INSIDE OF ME!**

 **Stop this monster!**

The eyes of every single living thing in the area glue themselves to the rapidly growing child before them. The girls cling to their Pokémon desperately, refusing to them anywhere near him. Charmander continues to stare in both horror and shock, never before in his life has he ever felt so terrified than he does now. Both Luke and Gallade can feel what the others cannot, the power radiating from this… Thing, is stronger than it has ever been, _far_ stronger. Stronger than even their own combined power.

In his fear, Gallade loses his Psychic hold over the girls and their Pokémon. With a soft thud, which goes unnoticed by all, they land on the ground again. Still no one dares take their eyes off this thing.

 **I feel it deep within…..**

 **It's just beneath the skin…..**

 **I must confess that I…..**

His snarl finally dies, giving way to a sadistic smirk across his face, one that sends fear flooding through them all.

 **FEEL LIKE A MONSTER!**

 **I hate what I've become!**

 **The nightmares just begun!**

 **I must confess that I feel like a monster!**

 **I feel it deep within!**

 **It's just beneath the skin!**

 **I must confess that I feel like a monster!**

His fingernails recede into his flesh, leaving them devoid of the makeshift weaponry. But not for long, the bones at the end of his fingers and thumbs begin to grow, while the flesh does not. The tips of these appendages split open, allowing the growing bones to leave their fleshy home. Thick black blood clings to these bones, tainting them and turning them pure white. These bones begin to curve downwards, turning each of them into two inch long hook like talons.

 **I'm goanna lose control!**

 **It's something radical!**

 **I must confess that I feel like a monster!**

The orbs of sight that reflect his pure soul grow dark, abandoning their normal electric blue for an empty blackness. The normal round pupils gain a blood red line around themselves, distinguishing them from the black irises. These pupils begin to contract and lengthen, becoming Liepard like.

 **I, I, feel like a monster!**

 **I, I, feel like a monster!**

 **I, I, feel like a MONSTER!**

The transformation is complete, Red is gone, locked away inside his own head and forced to watch this in horror. The Beast is free, having possessed his body; it is now free to spill blood once again. It has corrupted and twisted the body of an innocent child, forcing it to obey its every whim, and fulfil its dark ambitions.

The instant the creature takes control over Red's body, the tattoos across Luke's arms pulse with life. With each pulse, their colour shifts from black to blue, the same colour as his Aura. Each pulse burns his flesh, warning him of the danger he's in, as if he needs a warning.

The Beast slowly examines its surroundings, trying to figure out just where it is. The forest falls deathly silent; no one dares make a sound. Its eyes linger on both Luke and Gallade, but quickly dart off to the easy prey behind them both. Its long tongue licks its teeth; it can taste their blood already.

Charmander works up the nerve to speak again, he's no coward, he won't be paralysed by fear. _"Red? What happened to you? You look… Evil"_

The eyes of the creature of darkness twist down to face the Fire type, it tilts its head curiously, as if it is a child who has found a new toy. _**"Red is dead. I am the Beast"**_ It growled, darker than even a Houndoom's snarl.

Its demonic voice paralyses Charmander in fear, that voice sounded nothing like Red, it's dripping with pure evil. It holds its right hand over his face, open palmed to form an Orb as black as its soul. _**"Die lizard"**_

A beam of pure Aura bursts through the Orb, burning through the air to meet the flesh of the bad tempered lizard. Before it can hit its mark, a luminous blue haze surrounds Charmander and tugs him to safety. The beam burns through the earth in place of flesh, leaving a smouldering pile of blackened ash behind.

Saved by Gallade's quick Psychic, Charmander stares at the creature before him in horror, it nearly killed him. It tried to kill him. He just avoided death by the skin of his teeth. These thought flow through his mind, as he is pulled to the safety of the earth, at Lily's feet.

The Beast slowly lifts its head, to give a crazed stare at both the adults here. _**"Hehehehehehehe… You two are next, Knight scum"**_

It lunges its left hand out to its side, to the horror and confusion of those watching, its limb grows longer and longer, easily reaching into the trees ten feet away from it. The sound of flapping wings escapes the branches of the trees, along with the desperate chirping of a terrified Pidgey. _"NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"_ It cried.

The Beast pulls its arm back to its normal length, carrying in its hand a Pidgey, flapping its wings desperately trying to escape its clutches. It holds strong though, refusing to release its prey. _**"Say goodnight"**_ It growled venomously.

Luke's eyes widen in horror, instinctively he turns to face the children. "DON'T LOOK!" But it's too late; they've already seen what it plans to do to them.

The Beast's talons dig into the flesh of the innocent bird, making use of its inhuman strength; it crushes the defenceless Pokémon's hollow bones and organs in its hand. Blood explodes from the Pidgeon like creature's every extremity; its own stomach is forced out from its beak.

The poor Pidgey doesn't suffer for long, in less than a second it's dead. Having no further use for it, the Beast drops its carcass on the ground, before stomping on its tiny head and grinding its foot amidst its brains, feathers and bones. _**"That was fun, but I think I'll enjoy killing the little ones more"**_

The blood drains from the faces of the children, all five of them, never before has any of them seen such something die, let alone something die so brutally. Lily silently returns Torchic to his Pokéball, she can't protect herself, but she can protect him. Serena quickly follows suit, before emptying the contents of her stomach onto the ground. She heaves for what feels like an eternity, but in reality is only a few seconds.

Luke and Gallade ready themselves for a fight, the green and white Pokémon charges up a Psycho Cut attack, his talons glow hot pink with Psychic energy. Luke forms a pair of blue Orbs in his palms, each the size of grapefruits. They both know that thing is far stronger than they are now, they stand virtually no chance of survival, let alone victory, but they must try.

They must try to defend the children, no matter the cost, they must survive this ordeal. They are the future, without them and others like them; the Knights will weaken and eventually fall.

They both steel their courage, trying to hide their fear and snarl angrily at the abomination before them. "Before we do this, tell us, how did you get so powerful?"

It cracks its neck to the side, smirking demonically at them both as it does. _**"How? Hehehehehehehe… My Master rewards his most loyal servants, he rewards us with power beyond your comprehension"**_ It holds its blood soaked hand at eye level, to show them the power it commands.

Black Fire forms in the palm of its hand; the flames dance across its flesh, but don't burn it in the slightest. These flames look exactly like normal fire, except they're pitch black. The fire coils around its hand, slowly climbing up to its elbow. _**"I wield Black Fire now"**_

The eyes of the adults widen in horror, while the ignorant children watch the flames in confusion, did that thing just spawn fire? Luke's body tenses up at the sight of the flames, a cold sweat runs down his face, dripping down onto the ground. Gallade slowly shakes his head, unable to accept what he's seeing. _"No… No… God no, anything but that"_

The Beast coils its hand into a tight fist once again, stabbing its own flesh with its talons as it does. If it feels the pain from its own weaponry, it shows no signs of it. The flames dancing across its flesh die, returning to their source. _**"You know what this means… Don't you?"**_ It hissed with sadistic pleasure.

The moment he saw the flames, a lump formed in Luke's throat, a lump which he tries hard to swallow. His sweat continues to drip, time is only making it worse, not better. "You… You have darkness and… F-f-fire. That can only mean…" His voice trails off, having lost its strength.

It slowly tilts its head to the side, revelling in the fear it can smell from them all, especially Luke. _**"I am a Fear Master now, I am unstoppable and you know it"**_ Both Luke and Gallade are so enveloped in their own terror, that they mindlessly nod their heads. _**"Hehehehehehe… Bow before me, and I might let you live to see those… Small things over there, die first"**_

Serena's finally able to stop vomiting; having emptied her stomach of everything it held. She wipes the remains of her breakfast from her face, the sight of that innocent Pidgey being slaughtered was too much for her weak constitution to handle. Her eyes sting with tears, this is a nightmare.

Being a supportive friend, Lily pulls her up into a standing position and hugs her tightly, trying her best to comfort her. "It's OK Serena, it's OK… My Masters can beat it down, it'll be over soon" Her voice is like that of her Master, trembling in terror.

Serena cries freely into her shoulder, saying something cannot be understood. Knowing this, she lifts her face off her to repeat her words. "Is that su-supposed to ma-make me feel b-better?" She cried. "My friend has t-to be beaten to near d-d-death to get that thing out of him… How's that supposed to h-help? This is worse than a nightmare, a-at least they end"

Lily tries to comfort her with a tighter hug, but she cannot answer her questions. There is no answer to give, not one that won't upset her even more. All she can do right now, is silently pray for a miracle to come and save them. For a miracle to end this horrible nightmare.

Charmander stares at the creature, confused by how it was able to spawn fire like that. Never in all his life has he seen _Black_ Fire before, green fire yes, but that's a Dragon Breath attack. A question forms in his mind, one that begs for an answer. _"What are you?"_

This question captures the attention of the sadistic creature, that calls itself the Beast. _**"What am I?"**_ It growled. _**"I am the nightmare that haunts your dreams. I am the fire that will burn this world to the ground. I am the darkness inside you all, that you try so hard to bury each day. I am an incarnation of all that is evil… I am all of these things to some, but in reality, I am none of them. I am the Beast, servant of the Eternal Master of Darkness"**_

It abandons Charmander, turning its valuable attention elsewhere. On the girls specifically, it watches them for a moment, confused by their actions. What are they doing? They have their arms around each other, why? What does that accomplish? _**"Humans are disgusting creatures"**_

It once again abandons its attempts to understand human behaviour, to focus on the task at hand. Both of the Knights standing before it have begun to visibly tremble, their fear has betrayed them. The sweet scent of their terror tantalises and teases its powerful sense of smell; it has always loved the scent of fear.

It takes a step forwards, expecting some form of attack from either of them, to its slight surprise, they don't even attempt to move. They're even more terrified than it thought; it's gotten to the point where they can't move.

Without fear or hesitation, it takes another step forwards, gauging their bodies for reaction. Still nothing, they're simply too afraid to move. Seeing them as no threat anymore, it turns its attention to the girls once again, they're both easy prey. Unlike the adults, these two have yet to come into their full power, leaving them vulnerable and easy pickings.

" _ **Are you two the ones he's screaming about?"**_ It silently asked itself. _**"Ah yes, you are. His sister and his friend… Once you two are dead at my feet, he will never resist me again… He will be broken"**_ These thoughts give birth to yet another sadistic grin across its face.

The look across its face doesn't go unnoticed, while they are petrified to the point of losing proper bladder control, both of the Knights know the code dictates they die with dignity and honour. They close the gap between them, blocking the children from its sights. "You want them; you have to get through us first"

* * *

Finally. Finally Serena understands what Red meant, when he said the Beast was a separate creature from himself. He's cursed, cursed to have an animal like this trapped inside of him. He can't do anything to stop it from possessing him, all he can do is try to warn those around him to go, to abandon him and flee for their lives.

He's a prisoner inside his own body, living in constant fear of this thing, how can he possibly live like this? He can't ever feel safe, knowing that his presence could get those he cares about killed. He might never have known what it means to be safe, truly safe.

It's like he's been imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit, he's just as innocent as they are, and yet he's treated horribly for something he can't control.

It's inhumane. To blame him for what this thing does. Can you blame a person for being born with blonde hair? For having freckles? For having a monobrow? No. And you certainly can't blame him for this thing.

* * *

The Beast's grin grows wider upon hearing the challenge it has been presented, kill them both, so it can reach the children? That's no challenge. _**"You're the ones I'm after; those three can wait to die. But you two… My Master has ordered your deaths, so I will rip your flesh from your bones, and devour your souls"**_

Gallade forces his fear down, deep down inside of him, he has to fight. His second talon extends and glows as a second Psycho Cut is formed across it. _"If we are going to die, then we will die fighting"_

With that he leaps forwards, spinning in the air as he does to launch his double Psycho Cut attack. Two slashes of hot pink Psychic energy split the air in two, as they crash into the Beast's open hands.

It catches this deadly attack, with little to no effort whatsoever. _**"Is that the best you can do?"**_ It taunted, before destroying the attack.

Before his feet collide with the earth again, Gallade teleports behind the Beast, extends his right talon and thrusts it through its back. The deep green appendage bursts through its chest, soaked in its black blood. The Beast cries out in agony, as it stares at the foreign object in its body. _"No. This is"_ Gallade hissed confidently.

The hopes of those watching rise, could this attack be enough to defeat the Beast? Is the nightmare over before it truly begins?

No. Not even close.

In a brutal attack, the Beast slams its elbow across Gallade's face, knocking him away from it and removing his talon from its flesh in a single motion. It presses its hands onto its chest, sending black pulses across its body which rebuild its broken bones and severed flesh. Aside from a hole through its clothing and some black blood, there's nothing left behind to show it was ever attacked. _**"Pathetic"**_ It hissed venomously.

The sight of his lifelong partner, and closest friend, risking life and limb to try and fight inspires courage in his own heart. Luke wants to fight this thing, or die trying. The Orbs are still in his palms, filled with power. Without hesitation or mercy, he hurls them straight at the Beast. "EAT THIS!"

It turns just in time to see a flash of blue collide with its face, creating a cloud of smoke that covers its body. Luke creates another pair of Orbs and hurls them straight into the cloud of smoke, the lack of screams worry him slightly, but he can't afford to think about this, he needs to keep attacking. He continues to fire Orbs in rapid succession, each one create more smoke than the last.

Seeing an opportunity for an attack of his own, Gallade charges up a pair of Power-Up-Punch attacks, his fists glow red with Fighting energy. He slams his attacks straight into its back, like his Master, he attacks in rapid succession. With each and every strike, his body glows red for a moment, signifying his Attack stat is rising.

Together they attack it from both sides, not giving an inch in their battle. The lack of screams or cries disturbs them both, yes the Beast has gotten stronger, but it still should be hurting from so many attacks at once. But there's nothing, the only sounds come from their own attacks.

Realising that this is going nowhere, Luke decides to use a different attack. He puts his hands together at his side, with a small pocket of air between them, and concentrates his Aura into a single point. "GALLADE MOVE!" An Orb forms between his hands, crackling with power.

Responding to his Master's call, Gallade abandons his own attack and performs a back flip through the air to escape the blast range. His leap forces the smoke to leave the Beast, revealing the damage that has been done.

An opaque black shield surrounds it, like an oval shaped bubble. Luke, Gallade and Lily all recognise this to be a Barrier, a shield to protect you or someone else from attacks. After the first blast, the Beast must have thrown up its shield, which means it didn't feel a thing. That's why it wasn't howling in pain, because it felt no pain at all.

It crosses its arms confidently; its entire being seems to radiating an Aura of confidence, as well as darkness and evil. The Barrier that surrounds its flesh dissolves away, leaving it vulnerable to attack, yet its confidence remains strong. _**"Go ahead, make my day. Vermin"**_

In a flash of blue light, Luke thrusts his hands forwards and looses a beam of pure Aura straight towards the Beast. The Aura Wave burns its way through the air, illuminating the darkness filled forest in a glorious blue haze. For the briefest of moments, the entire clearing lights up, drawing in all eyes towards the light. The beam doesn't burn or strain the eyes, no; it allows them to gaze into the Wave with perfect vision. It does however; block their view of the Beast entirely.

Before Luke's attack can even leave his hands, the Beast sets its own counter measures in motion. A deep shadow forms at its feet, rising up across its body, swallowing it in its darkness. The Beast sinks into this shadow, filling it up, smirking all the while. Gallade's view of his Master's attack is blocked by the Beast's silhouette, preventing him from being blinded. He's able to clearly see it evade the attack, in a fraction of a second. _"Shadow Sneak? It knows that move? How?"_

These questions are forced from his mind, when Luke's Aura Wave accidentally collides with his chest. It's original target was easily able to avoid it, but Luke couldn't see that, so he couldn't break it before it struck his partner.

Gallade cries out in pain, as the attack crashes into his armour, forcing him back and sending pain throughout his entire body. Luke breaks his attack quickly, but it's too late, the damage has been done.

Gallade staggers backwards, his mind addled from the pain of that deadly attack. The rest of them are clearly able to see his armour has a hole in the main body, melted away by the Wave; his flesh has also been burned by the same attack. His Mega Stone lies in pieces on the ground, ground into dust by the attack. Gallade and Luke have just lost their power over Mega Evolution, and their one chance to win.

While they try to comprehend just what he has done, the shadow that contains the Beast slinks behind the injured Pokémon, taking advantage of his pain addled mind. In the blink of an eye, the Beast rises from the shadows and strikes Gallade across the back with its Ghost type attack, dealing heavy damage to the Psychic type.

Gallade stumbles forwards, before catching himself and turning to face his enemy. He is met by the Black Flame covered hand of the Beast in his face, instinctively he crosses his arms before his head, to shield himself from the darkness infused fire.

He acts not a moment too soon, the instant he completes his block, the Black Fire blasts out from its hand and burns him. The force from the blast pushes him back, his legs hold strong to dig into the earth, but it's not enough to stop him from being forced back to Luke's side.

The Knight hurls another wave of Orbs straight at the Beast; it breaks its own attack to block. The Orbs collide with its flesh, creating a veil of smoke across its body, this time it howls in a mixture of rage and pain.

Gallade lowers his burn covered arms, panting heavily with sweat rolling down his body. That was no ordinary fire, he's been hit by hundreds of Fire type moves, but none of them has ever hurt him like that. _"Master… (Pant) Avoid that… (Pant) Fire. It… It does (Pant) more than burn you"_ He wheezed through his fatigue. _"It was… (Pant) Stealing my energy… (Wheeze) I could feel it, sapping my life force (Pant)… It's trying to steal… (Wheeze) Our Aura from us"_

Luke's fear vanishes from his face, he suspected there was more to that fire than met the eye. "Nothing's ever straight forwards with Paladins. I should have known" He thought bitterly. "OK Gallade, I get it. We need to kick up our game. ROCK SLIDE!"

Dozens of rocks form above the patch of smoke that covers the Beast, each surrounded by a luminous blue haze. _"DIE ABOMINATION!"_ Gallade hurls the rocks down upon the Beast, forcing the smoke away from its body.

As the first rock clears the smoke, the Beast can be seen throwing up its arms to try and shield itself from the attack. _**"NO! NOT A ROCK ATTACK!"**_

The boulders continue to drop through the air, smashing into its flesh and burying themselves into the earth, with each strike it howls louder, either in pain or rage, there's no way to know. All that Gallade knows for sure is that this attack is hurting it, badly.

Within seconds the Beast drops to its knees, covering its head with its arms, trying desperately to shield itself from the painful attack. It's not long before it's buried alive by the rocks, completely encased in a tomb of boulders.

Gallade knows this isn't enough to end this battle though; he switches tactics, picking up each of the rocks in a single lung with Psychic. The stray rocks quickly cover the underside of the boulder like formation, holding them all together tightly in his mental grasp.

Luke watches for a moment, as the last of the rocks joins the collection. "We need to seal those rocks together, Charmander can you use a Fire attack?"

The young Fire type watches the battle waging before him in horror, Red's actually been nice to him, despite everything he's done to him since they met. Something horrible has happened to him, it kinda looked like he evolved, but he didn't glow, can humans even evolve? It doesn't matter, what does matter is that these two are hurting him, badly. Now they want him to join in?

He just can't do it, he shakes his head. _"I don't wanna hurt Red anymore… He's nice to me and treats me like his equal"_ He whimpered slightly.

The mental strain of holding the boulder like formation is putting a terrible strain on Gallade, he's already extremely tired from the battle, he doesn't need this crap right now. _"If you don't do it, then you and everyone else here will die! Do you want that to happen?!"_ He angrily screeched. _"Stop being a fucking coward and attack!"_

Charmander snarls angrily at the Psychic/Fighting type, there's no way he's goanna stand around and be treated like that. In a moment of rage, he uses Flamethrower against Gallade.

Before the flames can even get close to him, they're surrounded by a luminous blue haze and freeze in place. Gallade smirks fiendishly; provoking a Fire type is far too easy, they're hot heads by nature. His Psychic attack caught the flames before they could even get close to him; he turns the flames onto the rock formation he has created.

The flames of rage envelop the rockery, their effects amplified multiple times by the Psychic energy that holds them; they manage to melt the surface of the rocks to form an airtight seal. The flames dissipate, revealing the solid lump of rock that has been formed by the combo attack.

His attack complete, Gallade finally releases his mental hold over the rocks that have swallowed the Beast. With a dust raising slam, the tomb like formation is dropped to the earth.

Gallade hunches forwards, his body is soaked to the bone in sweat and he's struggling to breathe properly. Luke carefully places his hand across his shoulder, giving him a look of pride. "You did well Gallade, that thing's gotten so strong, but we still beat it" Gallade's only able to nod his head in response; too fatigued to speak. "It is done. The Beast has been beaten"

The rest of them stare at the makeshift boulder in horror, they've encased it in solid rock, cutting off its air supply. How long can it last for? How long until it leaves Red's body, then he suffocates to death? They've sentenced him to death! All three of them want to scream, to shout, to cry, but nothing comes to them but a horrible feeling of numbness.

They can't take their eyes off the boulder, no, the _tomb_ their friend and brother has been buried in. Unable to accept the simple fact that, he's gone. This time he's not coming back to them, even the Beast can't breathe through solid rock.

Then, seemingly from nowhere, the boulder begins to move. All eyes focus onto it, fear in the eyes of Luke and Gallade, while the rest of them look on in a mixture of fear and a glimmer of hope, hope that perhaps their friend isn't dead after all.

A Black Flame covered fist bursts through the surface of the makeshift tomb, sending splits across its surface. The hope in the eyes of the naïve children dies, replaced by their previous terror. The Beast is very much alive, and judging by the snarl echoing from the boulder, it's pissed.

Gallade and Luke freeze in place, their eyes fixed on the twisting fist protruding from their attack combo. _"Is there no end to this things power?!"_

Gallade's answer comes in the form of a deafening roar, combined with an explosion of Black Fire and rock shards. Luke manages to throw up a blue Barrier of his own, but not before a shard of rock is able to drive itself into his gut. "GWA!" He grunted in pain.

From the rubble of the destroyed boulder, the Beast rises. Thick black blood runs down its face, the source of which resides in its hairline. An angry snarl ripples across its blood soaked face, sending shivers of terror down the spines of those unfortunate enough to see it. _**"THAT HURT! THAT**_ _ **ACTUALLY**_ _ **HURT!"**_ It roared at the top of its lungs.

The pain from having a foreign object inserted into his stomach forces Luke to drop his Barrier, and clutch the rock with both his hands. Both he and Gallade struggle to breathe through their fatigue and pain, but they're both able to see the damage that Rock attack did to it. "Only makes sense, GWA! It's a Fire type aft-AAGH! All" Luke grunted between cries of pain.

Gallade nods his head, before extending his talons once again. He can barely stand, but maybe he can fake the Beast out, if he can trick it into thinking he's standing strong it'll back down. It's a long shot, but it's the only shot they have left. _"I'm ready for round two, how 'bout you?"_ He bluffed.

Luke watches Gallade out of the corner of his eye; he can see he's trembling with fatigue and fear. "Gallade you idiot, you can't fucking bluff for shit!" He angrily thought. His eye returns to the Beast, to see the anger burning across its face. "You bastard Gallade" He thought with fear.

Before either of them is able to react, the blackened hands of the Beast coil around their throats tightly, shutting off their supply of oxygen in an instant. The arms of the Beast retract to their usual length, dragging with them the injured and exhausted Knights.

They desperately claw at its hands, trying their hardest to restore their supply of oxygen. The blood soaked claw like fingers of the Beast hold their throats too tightly though, its talons stab into their flesh, dangerously close to their jugular veins. The main blood carrying vessel in their throats.

" _ **I've had enough of you two!"**_ It growled venomously as it tightened its hold over them both. _**"When you go to the other side, tell them they can't keep my Master imprisoned for long. HE WILL BE FREE!"**_

The faces of the brave Knights begin to turn a distinctive shade of blue, indicating their blood is running dangerously low on the precious life giving oxygen. It won't be long now; soon the sweet embrace of death will come to them.

"I wonder, how will they judge us for what we have done? They won't forgive us… I wouldn't forgive us. There is no forgiveness for what we have done… The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for traitors, of any and all kinds" As these final thoughts pass through Luke's mind; his eyes shut themselves, as he submits to death. "Sorry Lily… Red… I'm so sorry for what we've done to you both"

The Beast loosens its grip a shade, just enough to allow them to breathe out slightly. _**"Any last words?"**_ It growled.

Gallade's far too weak to be able to speak again; his body gives out on him, allowing him to drift into the dreamless sleep of the unconscious. His final moments will be of peace, rather than of fear. Luke is not so lucky, he cannot be spared the slow and humiliating death by passing out. Knowing this, he forces his eyes to open one last time, he won't give this thing the satisfaction of seeing him afraid anymore. "Go. Fuck. Yourself" He weakly rasped.

The fingers of the Beast tighten their hold, piercing their flesh with its talons once again. _**"JUST DDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE ALREADY!"**_

The young and inexperienced eyes of Serena, Lily and even Charmander shut themselves tightly, none of them can bare the sight of them dying. Being forced to watch the Pidgey die was horrific enough, but at least it died quickly, the Beast is taking its time with Luke and Gallade though.

Dragging out their deaths for as long as it possibly can, sadistically toying with their lives, as though they are nothing but playthings for its amusement.

" _ **You three are next!"**_ It hissed demonically. _**"As soon as these two are dead, I'm coming for you all"**_

A squeak of fear escapes the lips that belong to Serena; her terror betrays her and gives the Beast what it wants from them. "I… I can't believe it. This is it… We're goanna die today… Someone, please make it stop" She thought, as more squeaks of fear burst free.

A new sound echoes through the heart of the forest, one that pierces the dense vegetation of this ancient woodland. The sound of cracking bone.

The fingers of the Beast lose all their previous power and strength, unable to hold on anymore, it drops both its would-be victims. Before either of them are able to touch the ground again, a blur of blue, moving so fast the eye cannot take in the sight of its source, catches them both and hurls them against the moss covered trunk of a tree.

They slide down the growth covered surface, to hit the earth once again. They're unconscious, hurt and exhausted, but at least they're alive.

The howls of agonising pain break the silence that had fallen across the forest; the Beast clutches the back of its bleeding skull, as it voices its pain. Its eyes look as though they're trying to burst free from its damaged skull and hang freely by their retinas. Strings of drool hang freely from its fangs, also trying to be free from this creature of darkness.

" _ **WHO THE FUCK DID THAT?!"**_ It howled in rage. Its vision begins to break down, blurring to the point where it can no long see straight. Whether from pain or rage, it doesn't know, nor does it care.

The timid eyes of the children shakily open, daring against the odds to hope that someone has come to save them. They're greeted by the ruffled cream coloured fur of Lucario's back, between his paws sits a black blood covered Bone Rush club.

Overwhelming joy flows through Lily at seeing her Grampa here, they prayed for a miracle and they got one. "GRAMPA!" She cried out, as her tears turn to tears of joy.

Without breaking his attack pose, Lucario responds to her cry. _"You've handled yourselves well, all three of you. But you must go now, go and find somewhere safe. The Beast is_ _my_ _concern"_ His tone is perfectly calm and without fear.

The vision of the Beast finally recovers enough to allow it to see once again, even without its vision it would know who struck it from behind with a sneak attack. _**"Lucario"**_ It hissed. Ripping two chunks of black, blood soaked hair out of its head, it roars demonically at him.

Several strings of its saliva are sent flying through the air, crashing against the plant life between it and its new challenger. With a perfectly calm expression across his face, Lucario speaks with a tone that matches his appearance. _"Don't spit like that. It's disgusting"_

Confusion floods through Serena's mind, overwhelming her fear for a moment, just long enough for her to ask an important question. "Lily, why's your Grampa so calm?"

Through the tears of joy streaming down her face, Lily beams at her friend. "Grampa's _never_ lost to the Beast before Serena, if anyone can beat it, it's him. We're safe now, Grampa's here"

Their conversation tugs on the sensitive ears of the aging Fighting/Steel type, his head turns sharply to allow one of his eyes to glare at them all. _"WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?! Go! Get out of here while you can! The Beast's a lot stronger than it was the last time I fought it, and I don't know if I can still defeat it! YOU MUST GO NOW!"_ Desperation and terror echoes throughout his voice, confirming his fears that he might not be able to do what he has always managed to do before.

Before any of the children have the chance to do as he asks, a tightly formed, burning ball of Black Fire is hurled straight towards them. _**"NO ONE ESCAPES ME!"**_ It snarled.

Before the flames even get close enough to warm their flesh, the club in Lucario's paws splits the ball in two, dissipating the potentially fatal attack into nothingness. Without so much a breaking a sweat, Lucario spins his club between his paws and takes a battle pose once again. _"You are poorly trained, Beast"_

The anger surging through the Beast is unrivalled, its snarl deepens to the point that a thick white foam forces its way out of the twisted flesh that forms its lips. A heavy vein presses against its dead flesh, atop its forehead, throbbing in tune with the beat of its stolen heart.

The terror that seems to come from simply being in the presence of such an evil being, has all three of the children so petrified that they find their legs rebelling against them. They all want to listen to Lucario, to run and get somewhere safe, but the limbs protruding from their hips refuse to obey.

The Aura radiating from this creature seems to have little to no effect on the trained Knight that is Lucario. _"How did you get fire? Come on, use the muscle in my Grandson's head and try something called… Thinking"_ He taunted.

His insult stings far worse than the crack in its skull, deepening its snarl and forcing the vein atop its face to throb harder. _**"I've transcended the limitations of the Boy's weak body. I have TRULY embraced the darkness, and have transformed into what your kind fears the most. A Fear Master"**_

Its demonic hiss sends shivers down the spines of the children, their easily frightened minds don't truly understand the magnitude of the Beast's new title, but they don't need to. Its words are meant for its newest challenger, expecting him to react like the children, petrified beyond imaging.

The aged Fighting/Steel former champion stares his opponent down, his Inner Focus ability saves him from flinching at the mention of its new title. Years of training to ignore the overpowering sense of fear now works in his favour, he can maintain his perfectly calm expression. _"You are a liar and certainly no Fear Master. If you were, your power would be stronger than mine, and the failures combined. You are just a Paladin"_

He's not afraid. Despite the sharp increase in its base power, he's not afraid of it. Just how strong is Lucario? To be able to face it down without even a hint of fear in his voice, sure he was frightened when he spoke to the small things, but that was different. He wasn't afraid of it, he was afraid _for_ them. _**"Just how strong is he?"**_ It asked itself, silently.

Its own fear betrays it, forcing its young body to visibly tremble at the sight of the Pokémon. Several trickles of sweat flow across its dead flesh, dampening the rags across its frame. _**"Stop this behaviour! He's nothing now, not even a worthless bug. I can destroy him effortlessly"**_ It said to itself, to try and calm the raging storm of terror brewing inside of it.

The ever calm Lucario flourishes his club, sending black blood flying across the earth and surrounding vegetation. His crimson eyes narrow, in a threatening manner. _"I've had enough talk, this ends now"_

A mile wide streak of confidence lies at the core of his words, while he has his doubts as to whether or not he can win this fight; he knows he will give everything he has and more, to defend his family.

His old yet strong legs carry him across the battlefield, faster than the naked eye can follow. His Extreme Speed leaves behind nothing but a blue blur, his sheer speed stuns the Beast long enough for him to swing his Bone Rush club straight into its head once again.

With a bone crunching snap, his club snaps in two and dissolves away. The black blood of the Beast has been splattered across the earth, tainting it and destroying any chance it once had to allow life to once again sprout from its surface.

The force behind the blow knocks the Beast off its feet and into the dirt, it could care less about its accommodations now, the pain from that Super Effective strike has it writhing around, clutching its cracked skull. _**"AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"**_ It howled, as its blood poured out onto its fingers.

Lucario stands over his opponent, glaring down at it with determination in his powerful eyes. _"I'll make you a deal, if you release my Grandson now, I'll show you mercy. If you refuse my generous offer, I will beat you within an inch of your life"_ He said coldly.

The sight of black healing pulses, washing over its blood soaked head gives him his answer. It has never once taken advantage of his offers before, so why would it start now? _**"You've only just begun to see my power"**_ It hissed, with a grin across its lips.

A second ball of Black Fire burns in its palm, without searing or scorching its flesh. It swings its arm out and hurls the fire into his face, before the flames can burn his fur he performs a backflip, to avoid its burning touch.

Taking the momentary distance between them as a chance to turn the tables in this fight, the Beast climbs to its feet and hisses demonically at them all. Lucario's paws touch back down on solid ground, before he has the chance to launch a counter attack; the Beast begins to change again.

Its jaw hangs open, exposing its teeth to them all and allowing it to snarl like a Mightyena at them all. Its pitch black hair, soaked in its own blood, rises from its newly healed skull and flutters like a flame.

The sharp, crimson eyes of Lucario widen at the sight before him, the Beast is transforming. _"Well, I didn't expect this"_ He thought, before returning to his previous calm expression.

It's already powerful muscles tense up and grow stronger, forcing the rags across its frame to tear and split more, without falling from its body. The now flame like hair across its head begins to grow longer, it continues to flow like fire, even as it clumps together to form solid black spikes, each reaching out towards the sky.

A ghostly black hue surrounds its flesh, causing it to grow darker and more twisted. Before long the hue evolves into a full out glow, surrounding it as though it were a bug zapper. Its eyes open wide, as black bloodshot lines spread across their dirty yellow surface.

 **(A/N Look up DBZ Gohan Super Saiyan 2, just remove the chunk of hair that hangs over his face and change the colours)**

With a deafening roar, the Black Fire bursts out from the Beast's entire body and climbs through the air to burn the tree tops. The burning Black Flames incinerate the leafs and branches, widening the clearing even further. _**"LET'S GO AGAIN OLD MAN!"**_

The Beast stands before them all, the Black Fire slowly receding back into its body, as a twisted grin forms across its face.

The inexperienced eyes of both the girls are unable to comprehend what it has done, it has twisted Red's body even further, forcing him to become something he's not… It's horrible. While the eyes of Charmander can offer nothing to allow this to make sense, he can _feel_ something coming from this creature. It's as though he can feel the power burning inside of it, yearning to escape and kill them all.

The eldest soul in this forest tilts his head curiously, while an eyebrow climbs up the surface of his fur. No emotion can be seen in his wrinkled face, he remains perfectly calm. _"You can transform into your Burst form… That's unexpected, but it does explain how you have a Fire typing as well as control over the flames… But I am well aware of the weaknesses of your typing, I trained along-side a Fire type all my life, you'll be easy enough to take down now"_

The grin across its face dissolves away, replaced by a deep snarl. Its fists clench once again, forcing its own weaponry into its flesh and spilling its own blood again. _**"I AM A FEAR MASTER! I wield more power than you could possibly imagine"**_ As it snarls, Black Fire spawns across its fists and climbs up the surface of its powerful arms, reaching the joints that comprise its shoulders. _**"You'll never live to see your grandson again"**_

Despite the aggression and rage echoing through its voice, Lucario's expression remains perfectly calm. No signs of fear linger across his wrinkles, despite the incredible increase in the Beast's power, he remains calm. _"Well you've certainly gotten a promotion, but you're no Master… Not yet. You have a fraction of the full power a Master wields, but without the weapons of one, you have chance of beating me. A shame, all that effort for nothing… Pity"_

That taunt stabs into the Beast, far more than it should have. Its snarl deepens, quickly becoming a sound that the human body should not be able to make. The pure rage burning inside of it forces the veins throbbing on its forehead to pulse harder; they're getting dangerously close to bursting now.

" _I am tired of talk, the longer you're here, the more pain my Grandson will feel. I'm going to crush you like a Bug Pokémon"_ He taunted.

In a blur of blue, Lucario uses Double Team and creates over a dozen copies of himself. The copies form a perfect circle around the Beast, trapping it like a Rattata in the centre of the battlefield. Its eyes rake across them all, searching for some sign that will lead it to the original. No difference can be found in any of them, giving it no indication as to which of them is the real one. _**"This is a trick for cowards! Face me like a man you coward!"**_

Each of the Lucario's pulls their paws to their right side, pool their Aura into the form of an Aura Sphere attack. A ball of blue Aura, resembling an Orb, is formed. In perfect unison they all hurl their attacks directly into the creature of Darkness, creating a veil of smoke across the surface of the Beast.

The howl of agony tells them all that the attack was successful; it didn't have time to create a Barrier to defend itself. As the smoke clears, the Beast is revealed to be panting heavily and clutching its left arm. _**"Dam this weak body! That attack should have been nothing!"**_ It snarled to itself.

" _You have raw power, but without skill and technique you have no chance to beat me, let alone kill me"_ Lucario's voice bombards the Beast from all angles, confusing it even further as to where the original is hiding.

An idea bursts through the pain across its battered body, if it can't find the original it'll just have to take them all out at once. A toothy grin slithers across its face, revealing its stained canine fangs.

A second wave of Aura Spheres form between the paws of Lucario and his copies, just like before, they hurl their attacks in perfect synchronisation. Before the second wave can reach it, the Beast throws up a Barrier to defend itself. _**"I WON'T PLAY YOUR GAMES!"**_

The Aura Spheres slam into the Barrier, trying hard to force their way through the shield. Its toothy grin broadens; Lucario has unknowingly given it the means to end this battle. _**"RRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"**_ It roared, as it thrusted its arms out either side of the Barrier.

With a pulse of black light, the Aura Spheres are rebounded from the shield and sent flying back towards their source. Each one destroys its creator, leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke. After the attack ends and the Barrier falls, there aren't any Lucario's left. The original is hiding from it; maybe he was never amidst his copies and only wanted it to think he was.

The sound of the dirt shifting behind it alerts it to his location, it turns on the spot to see Lucario swinging a Bone Rush club down onto its head. Acting on reflex, its hands cloak themselves in Dark energy, forming a pair of Night Slash attacks. With its right hand, it slices the Bone Rush in half before it can make contact. The club dissolves away in Lucario's paws.

With its left hand, it slashes across the elder's right side, leaving a deep wound that allows his crimson blood to stain and mat his fur. In the instant the attack makes contact, Lucario's eyes widen in pain. His typing gives him a quadruple resistance to Dark attack, yet the damage he has been dealt is enormous, if it wasn't for his resistance that could easily have taken him down.

He doesn't allow the moment to last long though, with the loss of his club he's forced to deliver a kick straight into its gut. The air is forced from its lungs, leaving it stunned for a moment. Not giving it the chance to recover, he slams his free foot into its temple in the form of a roundhouse kick; the blow sends it flying into the moss covered trunk of a large tree.

Taking the momentary peace in this battle as a chance to rest, Lucario takes a step backwards and plants his paws against his wound. _"You're definitely a lot stronger than me Beast, now you have the ability to use attacks we're finally on a level playing field"_ Blue pulses wash across his wrinkled flesh, knitting his flesh back together and pulling his blood back inside his body where it belongs. _"Still though, you cannot hope to defeat me… That strike was a lucky hit; luck won't allow you to beat me"_ He lifts his paws away, having fully healed his injury.

Using the tree as leverage, the Beast pulls itself to its feet. How many of its bones are now broken? The pain is so intense and so numerous, that its nervous system can't identify the exact points of injury. Red's body is far too weak; it can't handle its full power. Despite the radical increase in power it's still limited to his body.

A grin forms across Lucario's face, as an idea pops into his head. _"I know what type you are and your weaknesses. Fire types are weak to Ground attacks, and I know a good one"_

It's dark snarl drops from its face, replaced by a look of pure terror. He's figured out its weakness already? How? How is that possible?

It can't afford to waste time with these thoughts, they're giving him the time he needs to strike back. It must counter before he can land another attack. In a blur of black, it uses Quick Attack to get in close.

It's met by the paw of Lucario, slamming itself into its face. In an explosion of orange Fighting energy, Lucario unleashes a close range Force Palm. The Beast is hurled backwards and into the dirt, with fresh blood running down its face from its broken nose.

The Fighting/Steel Pokémon raises his right leg, channelling Ground energy into the limb as he does. He slams his foot down into the earth, sending powerful tremors through the earth towards the Beast.

His Earthquake splits the earth in two, forming a miniature chasm which carries onto reach the Beast. In an explosion of Ground energy, the earth beneath it bursts out and swallows it whole. _**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"**_ Its howls of agony stab into Lucario, knowing he is not only hurting his enemy, but also his Grandson.

This battle is taking its toll on him now, he's panting heavily as sweat rolls down his fur. Regardless of his growing fatigue, he must finish this battle before it can harm his family. He creates another Bone Rush, ready to strike again.

The Beast slams back down onto the earth, which reseals itself to be like it was before. The pain has swallowed it whole, its energy is running low, it won't be long before it loses this battle… It has one chance to win, it must take it.

It shakily pulls itself to its feet, Lucario watches it closely. He can see its weakening and will run out of energy soon, he'd rather not harm it further, as every injury he deals makes Red suffer more. Maybe if he just waits, it'll collapse and release Red without him needing to strike again.

His hopes die in his heart, as the Beast wrenches its jaws open and expels the Black Fire from its gut in the form of a sizzling Flamethrower. The Bone Rush club, which was created to be used as a weapon, becomes a shield against the flames.

By spinning the bone in front of himself, Lucario is able to create a shield that blocks the fire, stopping it from ever reaching him. With a flourish of his weapon, he sends the flames back at their source. _"You still have much to learn"_

He has to end this now, this fight has gone on for far too long, the Beast may be running low on energy but it won't release Red unless he beats it out of him. With this painful knowledge in mind, he leaps forwards and smashes his club across the Beast's face, sending more black blood across the earth.

The blow plants the Beast into the earth, having been dealt too much damage from a barrage of Super Effecting hits; it's all but lost this fight. How could it fail? It has the power of a Master, how could a mere Dead Dog hurt it this much?

Because it's trapped inside Red's young and weak body, it can take more than this, but he can't… Once again the weakling known as Red has cost him a battle. _**"The moment I am free… The first one who will die by my hand will be the Boy"**_ It thought bitterly.

It lifts its head from the dirt, to stare down its enemy. It is met by the steel covered paw of Lucario, aimed square in its face. This fight is over. _**"I'LL BE BACK! SO LONG AS THE BOY LIVES SO DO I!"**_ It hissed demonically, knowing its impending fate.

The crimson eyes of Lucario slowly shut themselves, with a heavy sigh he speaks. _"I know…"_ His voice drips with sorrow, knowing that today will not be the last time he's forced to hurt his Grandson.

A brilliant Wave of blue Aura bursts forth from his paw, crashing into the twisted face of the Beast. The Wave not only burns its flesh, it forces it backwards and through the air to slam into the trunk of the tree it was introduced to before.

As its spine slams into the bark covered trunk of the mighty evergreen tree, Lucario breaks his attack and watches it slide down to the earth, with a pained expression across his wrinkled face.

The burns from the attack have left the Beast disfigured beyond recognition; its skin has been burned off, exposing the tissue beneath it. Its eyes have been burned away, leaving them blind orbs in its head. Its hair is singed and smoking slightly, leaving it with bald patches across its head.

It looks like Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street.

The sight of the boy they all know and care for looking like the victim of a fire, sends waves of repulsion and disgust through the children. More than this the overpowering urge to rush to his side and help him comes to them; they feel like they must do something, anything, to alleviate his pain. But the fact that Lucario is still tense and looks afraid, tells them that the Beast is still in control.

It spits out a mouthful of black blood onto the earth, confirming their suspicions that the Beast is still in their presence. _**"I'll be back… You may have beaten me today… But I'll be back, and when I return, I swear I'll rip you apart… Enjoy your time while you can, all of you. When I return… I'll kill you all"**_ It weakly rasped.

With this final rasp its body stiffens out, its head arches back to release thick black smoke from its eyes, nose and mouth. Its body begins to morph again, returning to the way it was before it possessed Red, with the addition of the injuries Lucario dealt.

The Beast has been defeated, Red has returned to his body once again. He drops down onto the blood soaked earth, his heartbeat is weak, very weak and his breathing is extremely shallow.

Through the agonising pain of his shattered bones, ruptured organs and burned face, he can barely force down the shallowest of breaths. "I-it's over… It's finally over" He thought weakly.

The calm expression across Lucario's face is destroyed by the sight of his Grandson; tears of joy fill his eyes and drip down his face as he races to his side. He crouches down beside him and gently places his paws onto his chest, instantly healing blue pulses of his Aura swim across Red's broken body. _"It's OK Red, it's over… I'm so sorry I had to hurt you, but I had to protect the rest of them from it… Please forgive me"_ He pleaded, as his tears cascaded down his fur.

As the healing pulses swim across his body, they reseal his bones and heal his injured flesh, more than this they take away his pain, allowing him to speak again. "Th-thank you… Grampa… I tried, I tried so hard… But I couldn't break free" He weakly whispered, as tears fell from his own eyes.

" _Ssshhh… It's OK Red, save your energy"_ He gently replied, as he finished healing Red's body.

The tears of the innocent child burn his eyes and sting his flesh as they fall, carrying with them the shame and pain that comes from being possessed. His weak voice passes through his lips, but his cries prevent the ear from being able to understand his words.

Now his wounds have been healed, Lucario is free to wrap his arms around his Grandson and pull him into a tight hug, in a desperate attempt to soothe the pain he feels. _"Sssshhhh… It's OK Red, it's OK it's over now. One day you will be able to beat it yourself, one day you'll be free from it… You'll kill it, on your own, and set yourself free… It's OK, be strong now"_

While he comforts his Grandson, Serena, Lily and Charmander watch them both cautiously. Despite the change in both Lucario and what they hope is now Red again, their fear remains strong, what if it's not over? What if the Beast is trying to make it look like it's gone, so it can get them all with a sneak attack?

His advanced senses alert Lucario to their fear, without releasing his comforting hold over Red; he turns to face them all with a smile on his tear soaked face. _"It's over. The Beast has been beaten and Red's in control again… It's really over"_

With these simply words the overwhelming fear that held them back, that forced paranoid thoughts into their minds vanishes, replaced by unspeakable relief and joy. Without a moment's hesitation, all three of them scramble over to their friend and brother, asking as many questions as their small mouths can allow them.

Their questions are all aimed at Red, but he cannot hear a single word anyone is saying. His sense of hearing has been overpowered, by the sound of a demonic growl. _**"They will all die… Every living thing that you care about is going to die. I will rip them all to pieces; starting with that bitch you call sister… Don't think that Serena girl will escape me for long, she'll die too… It's only a matter of time until I regain my strength, and when I do, I'll kill them all"**_ The Beast whispered in his ear, drowning out all other sounds.

Just as quickly as it was taken from him, his sense of hearing returns to him. Lucario returns his focus to his Grandson, just as his hearing returns to him and an overwhelming sense of fear takes over his face. _"Are you OK Red?"_

Unable to speak through his fear, Red nods his head. Having been given permission to let him go, Lucario makes his way towards the adults whom he saved. Both Luke and Gallade are still unconscious and are lying in an uncomfortable slump.

At the sight of them both, Lucario's face twists into a look of disgust. Hatred boils in his heart at mere sight of their faces, a hatred so strong that could only be born from what was once friendship, or perhaps even the love one feels for their family.

With great repulsion and unwillingness, he crouches down and rolls Luke onto his back. His eyes capture the sight of the foreign object protruding from his gut; he grabs it roughly and rips it out from his flesh, before tossing it into the vegetation.

Luke's blood stains both his clothes and the plant life deep crimson, before he's able to bleed out too much, Lucario roughly slams his paws against them both. Healing blue pulses run across their bodies, he heals them both, but not as much as he did himself and Red, just enough to ensure their survival, before standing back up again. _"Awaken. Now"_ He barked.

After a few seconds, their eyes begin to flutter open. They take in the sights surrounding them; the black blood of the Beast covers the earth, as well as the crimson blood of both Lucario and Luke. He turns his head to look his former Master in the eye; he is met by the sharp gaze from his crimson orbs. "Is it over?"

With a sharp nod of his head, his question is answered. _"Master would be ashamed of his Apprentices, as am I. Neither of you deserve to be Knights, not after what you did to MY family. You should have been ejected from the order, or better yet executed"_ He points his armour covered paw into their faces threateningly. _"I am disgusted by the sight of you both. Pray that Lily and Red never find out what you have done, neither of them is as forgiving as I am"_

He turns his back on them both, but looks over his shoulder one last time. _"You are both dead to me now; pray they never know what you have done to them both"_

While Lucario spits venomous words towards his former pupils, Red turns his head away from those who've come to his side. His eyes shut themselves tightly, to try and force his tears to stop flowing. He can't bear them seeing him now, not after what the Beast has done with his body. "Go away. I don't want you to see me now… I'm bent, broken and my dignity's been stolen… Just go away" He whimpered between sobs.

His words sting them; and stone the hearts of both Lily and Serena, while stirring rage inside the Fire type starter. A look of hurt hits young Serena's face like a wet Feebas, how could he tell them that? How could he tell them to leave him here? He must be feeling worse than they can possibly imagine, so why would he want them to go?

This experience has been a horrific one for her, for them all, but it is over now. Nothing but a memory, one that will haunt them for years, if not longer. So what effect has it had on Red? The boy who has undoubtedly suffered the worst from it, the idea of her body turning against her terrifies her, so what has it done to him psychologically?

There's no way she could ever possibly understand how he feels right now, but she's certain that isolating himself away from everyone will only make it worse. He needs support and to know this changes nothing between them.

She reaches out and gingerly places her petite hand against his arm, his flesh feels like fire against her tender skin, it's like he's been turned into a living oven. Regardless of the increase in temperature, she holds onto him, knowing that recoiling will only make him feel worse. "It's OK Red; we're here for you… We don't care about any of this, you're our friend and nothings goanna change that"

Her kind words do nothing to ease the pain and humiliation across his face. "I think you're the bravest and strongest person in the world Red, you live with that _thing_. It does horrible things, but you don't let it keep you down, you pull yourself back up and keep on living… That takes _true_ courage"

Still his tears continue to fall from his reddening eyes, just as strong as before, it seems her words have fallen on deaf ears. Seeing this, Lily supports Serena, saying she's right. "You _are_ the bravest Red, 'cause you always pull yourself back up again… You've always done it before, what's stopping you from doing it again?"

Still the tears flow from his eyes, he pulls his arm away from Serena's tender touch. What's stopping him from pulling himself back up? The fact that the Beast has spoken to him; never in all his life has he heard it speak directly to him, not once. It's spoken about him and referred to him, it's even asked others to pass on messages, but not once has it ever whispered in his ear before… Not like that anyway.

It's left him feeling more vulnerable than he's ever felt before in his entire life, if it can speak to him now, what's to stop it from possessing him again? What if Lucario isn't there to protect everyone? What if he has to watch everyone he loves die? He can't take this anymore, something's gotta change… And there's only one way to do it.

"Leave me here to die" He cried.

As these horrible words hit the children, Lucario returns to their side, crouches down beside him and gently places his paw on his shoulder. _"Don't talk like that Red, remember_ _never surrender_ _"_

While the girls are hurt by Red's words of pain, Charmander is enraged by them beyond measure. He's seen some horrible things in his life, things no one should see, and he wasn't given the chance to surrender, why should _he_ be given one?

He snorts out each breath he takes sharply, sending a pinch of smoke out each time. _"Lucario? Is that your name? Could you be so kind as to pass on a message for me?"_ He asked with a surprisingly polite tone. With a stunned look on his face, Lucario nods his head to agree.

The young fire lizard clears his throat and takes a deep breath, to calm himself and allow him to think clearly. _"OK then… YOU ARE A STUPID, MOTHER FUCKING, COWARDLY, BITCH ASS, PINK WEARING MORON!"_ He practically screamed into Red's face.

The barrage of insults sends a sweatdrop down the head of Lucario, who now has to tell them all what he has just said. Red finally breaks his pose, the tears still flow from his eyes, but they aren't shut anymore. "Pink? I've never worn pink in my life"

His pathetic excuse for a retort sparks Charmander's rage even further; unthinking he leaps forwards and bites down as hard as he can onto Red's exposed shoulder. Red's timid whimpers finally die, replaced by a grunt of pain. His blood runs down from the small but sharp fangs of Charmander, sparking a knee jerk reaction from him, he grabs him and yanks him of him.

Charmander's grip is nowhere near as hard as it has been previously; as he has more he intends to say. He struggles free from Red's grasp and plants his feet back into the earth. _"I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU! COWARRRRRRD! I HATE COWARDS!"_ He screamed into his face. _"HOW DARE YOU FUCKING GIVE UP! THE OLD MAN WAS RIGHT,_ _ **NEVER SURRENDER**_ _!"_

Red simply blinks in surprise, as do the others; none of them expected something like this from Charmander, who has remained fairly silent ever since the Beast tried to kill him earlier. Regardless of the venomous nature of the words, Lucario begrudgingly translates for them all.

The Fire type's tail flame burns brighter, as his rage swells inside of him. He takes another breath, forcing himself to calm enough to speak clearly and thoughtfully. _"Look, I don't know what the fuck happened to you, you're goanna explain that to me even if I have to claw the Hell out of your face to get it. But my puny mind's been able to pick up that this is not a onetime thing, that means you've been putting up with it for a long time"_

His trainer remains silent, waiting to hear what his point is. 'Cause so far it's been nothing he hasn't heard before.

" _I don't give a flying fuck what you or anyone else says. You can't fucking give up because something bad happens to you, you get back up and keep fighting, you fight every dam day for the chance to get revenge. YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?! YOU_ _ **DON'T**_ _ROLL OVER AND DIE JUST BECAUSE YOU GET YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU!"_ His calm tone vanishes, as his pang of anger returns to him once again.

Now his rant has been completed, Red turns his head away from them all again and shrugs Lucario's paw off from his shoulder. His tears have stopped flowing from his eyes, and his solemn expression has been replaced by an annoyed scowl. "Why do you even care? You can't fucking stand me, just go back to P. Oak and tell him to get you another trainer. One who isn't pathetic" His tone matches his face. "Just fuck off while you can lizard"

At the mention of the word 'lizard', Charmander's tail flame burns even brighter than before. An angry snarl forces itself across his face, drawing everyone's eye in towards him again. _"What. Did. You. Call. Me?!"_ He snarled.

Before Lucario can even translate from them all, Charmander leaps forwards and sinks his teeth into the exposed neck of Red Ketchum. His fangs sink in deeper and harder, dangerously close to the jugular vein. Seeing the danger in a bite like this, Lily lunges forwards and grabs the Fire starter and pulls him away from her brother. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" She angrily screamed.

Red clutches his bleeding neck with a look of shock across his now pale face; he hadn't expected a second bite, a series of insults and maybe a scratch, but never a bite. Lucario doesn't waste time gawking, he plants his paws against his wounds and begins to heal them once again. Serena is the only one who remains inactive, stunned by the foul language coming from him as well as his aggressive behaviour, she had thought the aggression came to an end when the Beast was beaten.

Charmander struggles in Lily's grasp, trying his hardest to lung forward and bite his trainer once again. As he does, he curses the name of Lily and all future children born from her. Realising she can't understand him and Lucario is too busy to translate for him, he decides to go with universal sign language, and flips her off while swinging his tail around at her.

" _LET ME GO! I'LL KILL HIM! NO ONE CALLS ME A LIZARD AND LIVES TO TELL THE TALE! I'LL KILL THE COWARDLY BASTARD!"_ Lucario finishes healing Red's wounds, just in time to translate the end of Charmander's angry rant. _"WHY'D I HAVE TO GET STUCK WITH A COWARD AS MY BROTHER?!"_

The end of his rant sparks a silence between them; the only sound that can be heard is his struggling to break free. The boy with the unimaginative name stares at his partner Pokémon, unable to believe that his Grampa has correctly translated for them all. He has to know, did Charmander really just call him his brother? "Do… Do you mean that? Did you really call me brother?"

An unmistakable streak of hope shines in his words, a flicker of joy can be seen through his scowl. The pain of what he has just endured begins to fade from memory; the Pokémon he's been trying to bond with for days has just called him brother…

Despite Red's request, Charmander still struggles as hard as he can against Lily's grasp. Finally he decides to take a different approach; he looks over his shoulder, blood dripping from his lips and fangs and growls a warning to her. _"Let me go now, or I set your ass on fire. Your choice bitch. NO ONE HOLDS ME! And only RED'S allowed to touch me, now let me go before I show you how a third degree burn feels"_

Upon hearing his threat, the hands of Lilian Ketchum release their hold over him. He bounces off the ground and leaps straight onto his trainer's head, without giving them the chance to pull him off of him; he sinks his fangs into his scalp as hard as his tiny jaws will let him.

Yet another pang of pain forces the boy to cry out, before grabbing his Pokémon and yanking as hard as he can. "GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"

Feeling himself losing his grip, the Fire type grabs as much hair as he can in his claws to try and strengthen his hold. _"I'm goanna fucking eat you from the inside out! What's your favourite organ?! I'll eat that one first!"_

Strengthened by a powerful pang of rage, the Apprentice who was previously possessed is able to rip Charmander off of his head. A searing pain across his scalp tells him that he's likely ripped out a portion of his hair in the process. With a furious glare across his face, he locks eyes with the lizard in his hands.

A chunk of his auburn brown hair hangs from the fangs of Charmander, despite being beaten, he continues to growl angrily. _"You just gave yourself a bald spot"_

Before Lucario has the chance to inform those who cannot understand the Pokémon tongue, Red tightens his hold and vents his swelling rage. "YOU'RE GOANNA EAT ME?! _ME?!_ Well you're goanna have to try harder than that! I'M FUCKING TOUGHER THAN THAT, _BITCH!_ "

His angry outburst sends a wave of satisfaction through Charmander; a grin climbs across his face, forcing him to spit out the hair in his mouth. Lucario quickly tells them all about Red's new found lack of hair, which sends both Lily and Serena into a fit of giggles. The boy himself is so focused on his anger; he doesn't totally register his now obvious missing patch of hair. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Ignoring the obvious rage coming from the one suspending him in the air, Charmander continues to bear his cocky grin. _"Do I have to call you Master now? 'Cause you ain't better than me BITCH"_

Lily snickers to herself at the scene playing out before them all, is this what it looks like when they play? 'Cause it's really funny, at least to her immature mind.

The tears quickly fade from the fur of Lucario; his old heart melts at the sight of the two of them finally getting along. After days of fighting, of hitting out at each other, of stealing each other's food, they're finally getting along… In their own way.

"I fucking dare you to try it" Red growled angrily, after being told what his new partner said. "You call me Master, even once, and I'll let Serena give you a bath and dress you up like a girl. You and Charla can do a fashion show"

The blood drains from Charmander's scally face; his head slowly cranks around to look at the one who the threat included. To his horror she's smiling and looks excited at the prospect of playing dress up with him. _"You wouldn't dare"_ He tried to sound tough, but his voice quivers from his fear.

The jackal like Pokémon quickly shakes his head and paws, trying to silently tell him not to say that. _"Charmander, Red's never bluffed in his entire life. Never say 'you wouldn't dare', not to him"_

The sadistic grin across Red's face tells them all, that he's not bluffing; he really would subject Charmander to one of the worst fates he can think of. "Your choice Charmander, do you wanna play dress up? Or do wanna call me something else? Red'll do. Just not Master, I fucking hate being called that"

The bald, scaled head of Charmander bolts back to face the one who has issued him with the horrific threat of the torture, known by children as a game called 'dress up'. With a furious shake of his head, he whimpers out a response. _"I'll be good… Don't let her do that to me, you're the Boss I won't call you Master. Just don't let her torture me, please Boss have mercy"_

The disappointment is clearly written across young Serena's face, although it was only on the table for a moment, the prospect of playing dress up with Charmander and Charla brought great joy to her. Something they all need to help move past this horrific ordeal.

Charmander's feet once again meld with the earth; solid ground has never felt so good. The urge to drop down and kiss the earth comes to him, but thankfully it vanishes as quickly as it came.

The hand of Red meets the scally head of his newest friend; their eyes widen as his hand gains a red hue around it. In a moment that seems to last for hours, their Aura's meld together to form a Connection, one that will last a lifetime.

They each see the other's life flash before their eyes, Red is met by the sight of Charmander being abused by his previous trainers; beatings and harsh training were a daily occurrence for the young lizard. In his short life he has been partnered with a total of ten trainers, including Red himself. Many of his trainers were cruel to him; some abandoned him and others he abandoned.

A short life filled with people telling him he is weak, has left him with a hatred for weakness, in all its forms. But it has also left him with an extreme dislike of displays of affection, as he deems them to be a sign of weakness.

Charmander himself is given a brief look into the life of his new brother, what he sees both confuses and angers him. Luke and Gallade have spent almost three years training both him and Lily; in that time Gallade has treated Lily like family, but has come close to physically abusing Red.

Whenever he makes a mistake, he comes down on him as though he has caused the world to end. When psychological attack doesn't have enough of an effect, he turns to beating him both with physical and mental attacks, usually via his Psychic powers, something a child cannot defend against.

Beyond their training though, he grew up relatively happy, his home was always filled with joy. But despite his family, he was always lonely. Very lonely. He couldn't really have friends outside the family, as Lucario was always forced to remove their memories of him, always for one reason or another. Serena's the first friend he's had, who hasn't turned her back on him for being different.

In the blink of an eye, the visions of each other's lives end. The two of them stare at each other, baffled by what they have seen of the other. Their bond was strong before, but now it's as though they've been together since the day they were born, as though they share blood as brothers.

They can each feel a part of the other with them, melding with their Aura and forcing them to take on an aspect of the other. The eyes of Charmander morph to form an evil glare, his arms cross themselves and he grumbles a complaint under his breath. _"Get it over with"_

He anticipated a hug from his trainer, now aware of his fondness of contact with those he cares about. Despite taking on a part of Red's Aura, he still holds an extreme dislike of displays of affection. The only change he is currently aware of, is that he feels protective over his trainer now. He's _his_ trainer now, that means that no one's allowed to hurt him, but him.

The gesture of friendship he was dreading never comes; Red simply sits there, awe struck by the fact he understood what he said. For the first time in his life, he directly understood the language of Pokémon. Realising that he must answer him now, he shakes his head with a stern look across his face. "Hell no. That shit ain't ever goanna happen ever again, even _think_ of trying to hug me again, and I'll string you up by your tail. You hear me?"

Like Charmander, Red too can feel an immediate change in himself. His previous enthusiasm for hugging his friends and family has vanished, replaced by a sense of repulsion at the mere thought. More than this, he can feel a distinctive rise in his sense of aggression; he's filled with a powerful desire to fight.

As the sweet scene between them unfolds, the exhausted Luke and Gallade rise from the earth, leaning on each other for support. Once they're able to support their own weight, they each delve into their own thoughts.

The earth becomes the focus of Luke's stare; he shamefully holds his head down. Yet again he has failed; he has failed to defeat an opponent and had to be rescued by his former Master. He hasn't changed a bit… "I'm still a pathetic joke of a Knight" He thought bitterly.

The crimson orbs of Gallade have formed into a hard stare, one that is fixed onto the child who was possessed mere minutes ago. His burning rage ignites as he watches them all, acting as though nothing has happened at all. His furry forces his hands into tight fists.

" _The Beast slaughters an innocent Pidgey, it almost does the same to all of us, and they all carry on as though nothing has happened… No more. Today this ends, once and for all"_ He thought with a murderous tone. _"The Beast will die, no matter the cost"_

He finally breaks his stare, to turn to his brother. Ignoring the shameful look across his face, as well as the undeniable feeling of shame through their Connection, he voices his plan. _"Master, we need to kill Red now, while we have the chance"_ His voice only carries to the mind of Luke, allowing his intentions to remain hidden from the rest of them.

The look of shame is shattered from the face of the Knight, in its place a stunned expression is born. "What the fuck are you talking about?" His voice mimics his face, filled with shock.

The Psychic/Fighting Pokémon turns to face the rest of them again, with a look of serene calm across his face. _"The Beast is too powerful for us to face now; the only one of us who can beat it is the Old Man. He won't be around forever; he can't protect them all for much longer. We need to kill it now, before it has the chance to possess him again"_

The deep green talons extend from his elbows, as a murderous glare forms across his once calm face. _"The only way to do that is to slay Red. A necessary sacrifice, but one th-"_

His words are interrupted before they are able to deliver their full message. The Aura covered fist of his Master slams into his face, catching the attention of everyone in the clearing and forcing him to stumble backwards. His glare is broken and replaced by shock.

In the blink of an eye, Luke takes up a defensive position between his partner and his would be victim. He holds his arms out either side of him, in an attempt to block his path. His own murderous glare adorns his face.

The young and old souls, who are out of the loop, stare at either Luke or Gallade, confused by the events unfolding before them all.

The murderous glare across the face of the white and green Pokémon returns, stronger and darker than before. His talons remain ready to split the flesh of a child, and bathe in the blood running through his veins. _"YOU'D CHOOSE RED OVER ME?! I'M YOUR BROTHER!"_ He angrily screeched as loud as he could, his voice reaching all of their minds once again.

The man's stance doesn't waver in the slightest; he refuses to back down, even as he nods his head. "I'd choose either of the twins over you in a heartbeat" He said coldly.

His betrayal sends Gallade's furry to new heights, his muscles tense across his body, pressing themselves against his skin tightly. Countless veins throb against the surface of his flesh, each throbbing to the rapidly increasing beat of his heart. His crimson eyes fill with furry, as they fall across Red.

To his great surprise Charmander is standing before him, shielding and protecting him with his raised claws. _"You fucking try it, see what mother fucking happens. Psycho Cut my ass, you couldn't cut your way through a Caterpie"_

His words inspire nothing in Gallade, he doesn't even think of his warning as a viable threat. _"The world will be a better place, when scum like you are removed from it. Paladin"_

His cruel tongue plants a seed within Red's mind, a single seed of hatred. Prior to today, he would have broken down in fear of his Master, but something is different now. Instead of showing even the smallest signs of fear, he scowls angrily back at him. "Fuck you. I'm no Paladin, I'm a Knight"

The deep green talon of Gallade gains a hot pink shine to it, as his signature attack forms. Psycho Cut. _"You're too dangerous to be left alive, if Master won't do what must be done, I will. You're too dangerous Red… So I send you to the Other World"_

For a moment time seems to slow down, as Gallade lunges forwards to end the short life of his Apprentice. None of them are able to move, paralysed by their fear of the one they trusted.

The moment comes to an end, when the paw of Lucario slams into Gallade's gut. His normally crimson eyes lose their lustre, as indescribable pain tears his body apart from the inside out. That Extreme Speed hurt far more than he remembers, having felt its sting before when he was younger.

The speed based attack leaves him stunned and unable to strike or defend himself, even as Lucario retracts his paw and charges the second half of his attack. His paws connect together at his side, with a small pocket of air between them.

The air doesn't remain for long; a swirling torrent of Dark energy is quickly formed between his black paws. Inside this torrent, countless black rings with purple hues around them can be seen. In the time it takes for the eye to blink, his Dark Pulse forces its way into Gallade's chest blade and forces him through the air and into the tree which he met earlier.

His body slams into the bark covered wood, sending tremors through the tree which sends the branches into a typhoon of activity. Within the same second, the steel covered paw of Lucario slams into his forehead, binding him in place and forcing him to stare at the Metal Claw being thrust into his eyes.

The spike sprouting from the back of Lucario's free paw splits in two, to form a pair of razor sharp four inch long claws. These claws grow over his paw, allowing him to deliver his swift and brutal strike in the form of a quick punch. Without hesitation or mercy, he delivers an excruciating blow to his former Apprentice, who has just threatened the life of his Grandson.

His Metal Claw slices through the firm, yet soft surface of the crimson eyes before him. With no resistance whatsoever, his claws glide through the soft jelly like interior of the eyes. He stops his claws from puncturing the brain of his victim, allowing him to deliver a warning as well as a brutal blow. His voice is easily drowned out by the screams of Gallade, as well as the children.

The blood pours from Gallade's eyes, meeting the cold steel of the Metal Claw. Drops of crimson blood drip down across the blades, melding with the fur of his paws as well as the steel gauntlets adorning his arms.

The pain from this attack combo has frozen the Psychic/Fighting Pokémon's tired body; he can barely tremble as he screeches in pure agony. With a pulse of his Aura from his other paw, Lucario silences his victim, allowing him to finish his warning.

" _Shut. The. Fuck. Up"_ He snarled through gritted teeth. _"If you even think of harming any of my Grandchildren, that includes Charmander and Torchic, I will destroy you. There will be nothing left of you, not even enough to perform a post-mortem. You understand me?!"_

Even if he wasn't binding Gallade's mental abilities, he wouldn't be able to answer through his pain.

" _The only reason I don't drive these claws through your flesh and into your brain, is because I made a promise to my Master, a promise that I would do everything I could to protect both you and the other failure"_ Lucario spat venomously. _"But I would break that promise in a heartbeat to defend MY family. If you want to live, NEVER forget that"_

Deciding that he's made his point, he slowly pulls his Metal Claw out from Gallade's head. Drawing it out for as long as he can, to induce the most pain he possibly can, at least without killing him. _"Today I spare your life, but if you attempt to threaten the life of my Grandchildren again, nothing will hold me back"_

As his claws leave the depths of his eyes, his blood pours from the holes in his organs of sight. The second paw of Lucario remains firmly in place, binding his movements and preventing him from voicing his pain. _"I am far stronger and more skilled than both of you put together, there is nothing that either of you could ever do to stop me, and you know it. Never fuck with my family"_

Finally he releases his hold over him, by removing his paw and turning his back on him. Gallade drops to the earth, clutching his bleeding eye sockets and whimpering in agonising pain.

The children have huddled together, horrified beyond imagining by the sight of Lucario blinding Gallade. Even Charmander is huddling up against his trainer, terrified of what he thought was a kind old man. _"Remind me never to piss him off"_ He mumbled to Red, who slowly nods his head.

Even Luke's face has lost what little blood it held prior to the sight of his brother being mutilated. He's well aware of Lucario's temper, having felt the lash of his rage himself many times before in his youth. The sight of him blinding Gallade makes him sick to his stomach, as well as melts his previous rage towards him and births pity in his heart.

With a heavy sigh, his arms drop to his side and his posture softens. He passes Lucario and crouches down before his lifelong partner, his brother, the man he has been through both the best and worst experiences of his life with… "Stay calm, I can heal this. We need to get you out of here, then I can restore your sight" He said with a sympathetic tone.

Gallade abandons his attempts to cover his eyes, what point is there in trying? He's been blinded, but a wound like this can be healed and his sight will return to him. He will forever carry the scars in his mind, but the physical injuries will fade in time. _"When he kills someone, it's on your head Old Man"_ He hissed, before teleporting both himself and Luke in a flash of white light.

The children all stare at the space the bleeding Gallade was sitting, huddled together for safety. Serena clings desperately to Red, who clings to his sister and who clings to him in return. Charmander's the only one who's able to stand on his own two feet. _"I don't like that mother fucker, I'ma burn his ass with Flamethrower. Boss we gotta work on my aim; I don't wanna miss my target again"_

* * *

The day has gone; the sun has set and allowed the nocturnal visitors of the skies to visit once again. The stars shine brightly tonight, allowing those who are still awake to gaze at their beauty. The countless constellations that make up the seemingly endless supply of sparkling candles in the sky, remain a mystery to the Ketchums, and most likely always will.

Most of the family has left the world of the waking, to embrace the tender touch of sleep. While the rest of their family sleeps, Red and Charmander remain fully awake, lying on the surface of cool grass of their garden.

The larger of the two is suffering the effects that come with being possessed; he's simply exhausted, he'll have little to no energy for a few days and won't be able to use his powers over Aura as easily for quite some time.

His small body feels as though it's made from solid led, every movement, no matter how small, takes an enormous amount of effort from him. Through the sheer force of his will, he was able to drag his carcass back to his home, where he has been resting and talking with Charmander. They have all tried hard to push the memories from today out of their minds, focusing on the positive things have come to them all.

It's such a simple thing, a conversation, but to them both it's a novelty. Never before have either of them been able to communicate with each other's kind, they've always had to either guess what the other says or use a translator, something that is in short supply. So needless to say, the ability to effectively communicate is a new avenue the two of them wish to explore further.

"Then it ended with me lightly kissing her forehead, and telling her that I loved her… It was the strangest dream I've ever had" Red concluded, having informed him of the weird dream he had a few nights ago, the one that involved the Pokémon he named Nibbler.

He rolls his head over, to gauge his partner's reaction to his statement. The Fire Pokémon's face is host to a freaked out expression, that was by far the creepiest dream he's ever heard in his young life. _"That's a fucking freaky shit dream"_ He said plainly, as though describing the colour of the grass.

Deciding that he's heard enough about the nocturnal activities of his friend, he quickly thinks of an excuse to change the subject. The perfect excuse comes to mind, causing a sly grin to crawl across his face. _"When you goanna tell Serena you're crushing on her big time?"_

During the moment they opened their Connection, his feelings for his female friend became as obvious as the dirt covering the soles of his feet. There was no way for him to not see it.

At the mention of her name, his eyes tug his head to face the sky once again. The seemingly endless sea of darkness is broken by the shinning sparkle of the stars. Within seconds it has him enthralled, the beautiful scene of lights has always captivated him, but the sight of the full moon will always have him transfixed.

"I won't… 'Cause I can't have feelings for her, she's my friend. Nothing more, nothing less" His whisper betrays him, revealing his pain. "The Beast spoke to me Charmander… It told me it'll kill everyone close to me, I can't protect my family… We're bound by blood. But I can protect her; if I only see her as a friend then it won't target her"

A confused Charmander sits up and gives his brother a slack jawed look of confusion. _"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You can't pick and choose how you feel about someone. Don't get me wrong I'm no lovey dovey shit-head, but even I know that much"_ His words provoke no response, so he carries on. _"You're a moron, but this is dumb, even for you"_

A moment of silence follows his insult, one neither of them chooses to break by continuing their conversation. Charmander returns to his lying position, and silently gazes up at the stars once again.

During the silence, Red's mind returns to what he endured earlier in the day, being forced to watch the Beast kill that Pidgey, and then watching it try to do the same to the rest of them… It's more than his young constitution can handle.

Before today, his eyes would have leaked their lubricating fluids, indicating his distress to others. But now, no tears flow from his eyes, nothing comes from them. Instead, a terrible pain stones the pump in his chest, the vital organ that forces his crimson blood through his veins.

"I can't live like this anymore… I have to get rid of the Beast, but how? How can I kill it?" He thought aloud, without realising he'd broken the peaceful silence.

The sudden and unexpected burst of emotion catches Charmander off guard, even so, he's able to offer some form of help. _"Ain't got a clue what to do? Meditate, if nothing else it'll help calm you down, maybe it'll help an idea come to you"_

Deciding that it's worth a try, he pulls himself up from the comfort of the grass, to sit up and contort himself into a Meditative pose. Charmander remains on the grass, but turns his attention to his brother, watching him eagerly as he begins his meditation.

He may have sounded as though he was trying to help Red, with the suggestion of meditation, but really it was just a ploy. What he really wants is to see the flame like Aura, he caught a glimpse of it earlier, during their Connection, but he's eager to see it directly. If it helps Red accomplish his task, then that's a happy bonus.

As Red begins the process of clearing his mind of conscious thought, his breathing becomes far calmer and more efficient. Over the course of several minutes, his mind clears and allows his powers to rise to the surface of his scrawny frame.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, Charmander's wish is finally granted. The brilliant red flame like Aura burns across the surface of Red's body, shining all across him and illuminating the darkness of the garden.

The moment the flames rise from his brother's body, Charmander bolts up into a sitting position and stares at him, his eyes widen and sparkle in awe of the light emanating from him. _"Holy shit… That's awesome"_

* * *

An hour has passed since Red began his meditation; he remains perfectly still, with his flame like Aura burning across the surface of his body. The thrill of seeing what looks like a human torch having worn off, Charmander has dropped back to the ground, asking himself why he ever thought this was a good idea.

" _You've done nothing but sit there for fuck knows how long… How much longer? I wanna go to bed! At least put me back in my ball so I can sleep"_ He whined.

Despite his brother's numerous protests, Red has refused to break his meditation, for anything. But he must admit that this has become pointless, if he was going to have an epiphany that would grant him the power to destroy the evil locked away inside of him, he would have had it by now.

But nothing has come to him; he's as blind as ever. His eyes finally open, breaking his meditation and taking away the glow that surrounds him. A sigh falls from his lips, with his head hung low. "Am I not supposed to beat it? Am I supposed to remain cursed forever?" He thought silently.

"I can't do this on my own… I need help" He whispered, his voice barely audible to even the most sensitive of hearing. "Someone… Anyone, please help me"

No sooner than the request fall from his lips, than both the boys feel the presence of another in the garden with them. Their senses tell them they are alone here, but yet they _know_ someone is here with them.

A voice, whispering in their minds, confirms their suspicions. They are indeed in the presence of another, one that inspires feelings of comfort in them both. _"That's it…"_ The voice whispered.

The voice is soft and tender, warm and comforting, and undoubtedly feminine. The natural reaction of hearing an unfamiliar voice is triggered in them both, they both search their surroundings for the owner of it.

Neither of them has ever heard this voice before, nor have they heard one quite like it. The voice is like that of an angel, yet it makes them both feel as though a pair of soft and warm arms are wrapping themselves around them both, bringing them into a loving hug.

Despite having no clue who the owner of the voice is, both of the boys feel like they _do_ know her, like she's always been there, waiting for the chance to make her presence known. _"Now I can finally give you the help you need… Now you have asked for it, now you have chosen to let me in, I can finally help you"_ She whispered to them both.

The words of this voice have both of them trusting their owner, how? How can they trust a voice when they have no idea who it belongs to? It's mad, to trust a strange voice talking to them inside their heads… Wait a minute, _inside_ their heads?

Red shakily turns to face Charmander, his fear evident on his face. "Can you hear that voice as well, or have I finally lost my tiny mind?"

The lizard of fire shakily nods his head, confirming that he too can hear the voice. _"You haven't got a brain, so you can't have a mind, but yeah I can hear it too"_

The fear that was evident on Red's face deepens, if he can hear the voice as well, then that means something's invading their minds to speak to them… Honestly, losing his mind is the preferable option. He steels his courage, knowing he needs to find out why this voice has contacted them, to do that he must ask questions.

"W-who are you and w-what do you want?" He weakly asked aloud, trying to contain his fear.

" _Sssshhh… Don't be afraid Red, I wouldn't hurt either of you or your family"_ The voice comforted. As she says these words, the comforting feeling flowing through him grows stronger. _"Who am I? Did I forget to introduce myself? Sorry, I'm kinda like what you would call, a dizzy blonde"_ She added, with a girlish giggle. _"I am a Master of Aura, a teacher, a trainer, but most of all I am a mother… And I want to help you, both of you; you've suffered alone for far too long"_

The living fire pit, known as Charmander, jumps to his feet. _"How the fuck do you know his name? Mine's obvious as shit, but Boss' isn't. You been spying on us?"_

The sound of girlish giggling fills their minds, before the voice responds to his accusation. _"I know many things Charmander; I know that you lost your family the moment you were born… It was horrible for you; your first sight in this world was a poacher, slaughtering your parents, who were both trying to defend you and your siblings… You were the only survivor"_ She said, with a sympathetic tone.

The eyes of Charmander shrink in their sockets, as a lump builds up in his throat and his eyes begin to sting with tears. He never told anyone about that, not even Red, but he knows because of their Connection… It showed them both times of high emotion for them both.

" _I applaud your bravery Red, there aren't many who are willing to isolate themselves away from everyone they care about… Most adults wouldn't even entertain the idea, let alone children. You're very brave"_ The voice commented, ignoring Charmander's distress over her previous comment.

Confusion writes itself across the face of Redmud Ketchum, he never said anything about leaving, he was thinking about it, but never voiced it.

" _You don't need to say it for me to hear it Red, I'm a Psychic type and can read your mind… I forgot to say that didn't I? I'm such a dizzy head. Well, I'm a Psychic Pokémon and as such, I have the ability to read your mind. How did you think I'm speaking to you?"_ Her girlish giggle follows her statement, answering the questions that had formed in Red's mind.

Her comment snaps Charmander from his stunned state, allowing him to voice his concerns once again. _"WHAT THE FUCK?! That's creepy as shit! You can get in our heads? You need to stay out of my mother fucking mind"_ He retorted, with a hint of fear in his growl.

" _Watch your language young man!"_ She snapped back. _"It's rude to swear in the presence of ladies… Even though I'm nowhere near you both, I'm still a lady and you will speak to me as such"_

Her quick retort leaves Charmander unable to form a witty response of his own. He crosses his arms in frustration and grumbles into the ground. _"Kick your ass bitch… Ain't no fucking lady"_

Once again ignoring his rude comments, the voice carries on. _"Red, I've come here today to make you an offer. I can teach you how to control your Aura at will. I can mould you into what you were born to be. I can carve you into a force to be feared. However, I won't be training you, not directly"_ Her tone turns firm and serious, as though she's trying to sound authoritive. _"I will point you in the right direction and give you a swift kick up the backside when you need it, but if you want these things to come to pass, you must do it yourself… If you do, then I know that you will find out what the Beast is, and learn how to destroy it… Then it'll fall to you, to do what must be done"_

The sudden change in her tone sparks interest in both of the children, Red is able to pick up on what she's getting at and instantly sees a problem with her proposition. "I've already got a Master, two of-" She cuts him off before he's able to finish his complaint.

" _I am aware of both Luke and Gallade"_ Her tone shifts to one of annoyance, as though she has just scolded a pair of naughty children. _"If you stay under their rule, you will never become what you were meant to be. They are both trying to train you to become something you are not; they are blocking your progression… They're holding you back Red… Also, if something doesn't change between you and Gallade, then there WILL be further bloodshed"_

" _You both require freedom to grow into what you were meant to be, while you look different, you are both mirror images of each other… You are like caged Pidgey, longing to soar free like Fearow! Red, if you accept my offer, you will become more than you ever imagined you could be… You need to think carefully before you decide"_

Red'd be lying if he said he said he wasn't tempted by her offer, but there's so much about this voice he doesn't know. Her name being the first on this long list. "Can you _please_ tell us your name? We're not goanna agree to nothin' until we know your name"

Charmander growls in agreement, she's asking an awful lot from them, but is giving so little in return. _"Gotta give to get missy"_

The sound of her giggling once again fills their minds, it would seem whoever she is, she's fond of giggling like a little girl. _"I forgot to introduce myself again, didn't I? My love always says I'm a dizzy head. Well, your kind has given me many names over the years, Mother of creation, God… Pinkie. But I don't like the first two, they make me sound like something more than I am… And no one calls me Pinkie but my love, it's his pet name for me"_ She once again bursts out into a fit of girlish giggles. _"My real name, is Mew"_

The electric blue eyes of Red widen in amazement, his words have been stolen from him. No words can express the amazement and breathlessness she has left him with. After a moment, he is able to use his vocal cords once again. "Mew? Y-y-you're speaking t-t-to me? And you want to help me?"

While Red is unable to believe what he has just heard, Charmander just looks confused, with his jaw slacked. _"Wha? We don't wanna know what your fuck buddy calls you, and Boss who the fuck is Mew?"_

The swift hand of Red slams into the back of Charmander's skull, leaving the lizard clutching the back of his head and growling a death threat to his trainer. "SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR THE PATRON OF THE ORDER! SHE'S A LEGENDARY POKEMON AND THE ORIGINAL KNIGHT!"

" _Yes Red, I'm speaking to you both and I want to help you, but this is not simple charity on my part… I need your help Red and yours Charmander"_ Mew said, ignoring the fight between the children, as though they're throwing a tantrum.

The sound of her voice breaks their argument; they both listen to her carefully, hanging off her every word. _"A war is coming boys… The Paladins are coming… They are coming"_

An annoyed scowl forms across Charmander's face, he bolts to his feet and stamps them in anger. _"OH HELL NO! NO! THIS IS BULLSHIT! I swear to Arceus, if you come up with some bullshit about how 'only we can stop this war, and save countless lives' then I'm walking out of this story right here and now"_ He turns towards the writer, growling deeply and snorting out each breath. _"You hear me Mad Ass Dragon?! If she does that shit, then kill me off and replace me with a Chimchar!"_

The amazement and breathlessness vanishes from Red's form, with a sigh he turns towards Charmander. "Well Infernape doesn't have a Mega Evolution at the time this is being written, and the Dragon can't be bothered to think of one or look for one on something like Deviant art. Besides, the cover image for this story has a kid version of me with a Mega Charizard X beside 'im. Wouldn't make sense to replace you with a Chimchar, so you gotta grin and bear it"

Mew clears her throat with annoyance. _"Are you two finished breaking the fourth wall yet? I'd like to carry on now, if you two cost me my pay check, I'm coming at you both with a baseball bat"_

Both the boys quickly return to the way they were, before Charmander rudely interrupted the patron of the Knights. Acting as though nothing happened, they eagerly wait for Mew to carry on with her speech.

" _There is no way to prevent what is to come, it is inevitable. There's no way to prevent the Paladins from unleashing their plans, but we can fight back against them and their Master… I offer you a deal Red, if you and Charmander will journey to my home, alone, I will guide you to the power that is locked away inside of you. I will help you be free of the Beast"_

Nothing in this world comes for free, the only way someone will help someone with something this big, is if they want something in return. Normal Knight training is done to keep the order alive, to pass on the knowledge to the next generation, so their noble work can continue… But this isn't normal training; there must be something she wants. "What's the catch? What do you want us to do in return?"

Charmander raises a claw out towards the empty sky, attempting to look threatening. _"We ain't doing no freaky shit, if that's what you're after you'll have to find someone else"_

Red throws him a freaked out look, before dropping his head in shame. "Why me?"

" _I will forgive, but not forget that remark Charmander… Especially if Red accepts my offer, I'll make sure you get a nice Vegetarian diet"_ Her voice tells them both of her annoyance.

A scared look hits Charmander straight in the face, he's technically an omnivore, but prefers a predatory diet. _"I fucking hate veggies"_ He weakly grumbled. _"I'll be good… No veggies"_

" _Well Red, despite your… Less than optimum cranial capacities, you do have your moments. To know the ways of the world at your age, it's impressive"_

Charmander recoils towards his trainer, in an attempt to make his comment secret. _"Do you know what she's saying?"_ Red simply shakes his head. _"Me neither… But I think she's callin' you stupid"_

" _In return for the help I will be giving you both, Red, you must be prepared to sacrifice everything that you are, to be ready and willing to give up your very humanity… To face your darkest demons and spit in their eyes, and I'm not talking about the Beast… That's up to you to deal with"_

Fear runs down the spines of them both, it is in the very nature of humanity to resist sacrifice, even in desperate times, and in children it inspires deep fear. Sacrifice his humanity. What does that mean? "What'll happen if we don't go? What'll happen to us if we stay here?" He forced himself to ask, dreading the answer to these questions.

A moment of silence follows his question, before being broken by a heavy sigh. _"It hurts me badly to tell you this Red, but if you stay here you will never be free. You will forever be a slave to the Beast. Eventually it will be able to possess you forever, then not even Lucario will be able to defeat it… It will make good on its promise to kill everyone you hold dear… I'm not telling you this to be cruel Red, it's the truth, I'm saying these horrible things so you can make whatever decision you feel is right"_

The smaller of the two boys glares up towards the sky, with his arms crossed to emphasis his annoyance. _"This stinks of cheese"_ He growled. _"What makes us so special? Why're we being singled out? Why've WE got to leave our home and family?"_

" _All my children are special, but Red you are different. You were never meant for this world, you were meant for the world I created, not the world of humanity… You were both born to be something more"_

A sweatdrop rolls down the back of Charmander's hairless head, as his face contorts into a look of fear. _"This is getting fucking creepy now"_ Red nods his head in agreement.

A sigh of annoyance fills their juvenile minds, the antics of children often amuse her, but not when she's trying to be serious. _"Stop that now, this is serious. Both you and your sister are different from the bulk of your kind, you were both meant for the world I intended… You know the world I mean Red. I know what you're thinking, if she's the same as you why can't she go with you? The answer is simple, she doesn't need my help, she will grow into her full potential under Luke and Gallade"_

" _Only those who are invited can find their way to my home, and I am only inviting you and your Pokémon partners… I'm sorry Red, but without help, you'll never become what you are meant to be. Without a big enough push, you won't ever be able to protect anyone. If you want to be truly free, you need to leave your home and come to me"_

She allows them both a moment of silence, to let her words sink in. _"At the end of the day, the choice is up to you both. If you don't want to come, you don't have to… But if you don't come, you'll both regret it for the rest of your lives"_

Red shakily turns his head back to face his brother, seeking support and advice for making the biggest decision of his young life. Without a moment's hesitation, Charmander nods his head. _"We gotta do it Boss, if you've got even the smallest chance to kill that thing, you gotta take it… And we'll get away from that asshole Gallade, so I'm up for it"_

How can a child be expected to a make a decision like this? A decision that'll tear him away from everything he's ever known and loved, from his twin sister, whom he hasn't been separated from for more than a few hours in his entire life… But what choice does he have?

If he stays then he'll sentence everyone he cares about to death, but if he leaves, then he'll have to leave everything behind… There's no choice to be made.

" _Oopsy, I forgot something. You know that strange dream you had a little while ago Red? Well it wasn't a dream, it was a vision of the future, one I've been trying to give you for quite some time now"_ Mew added.

Confusion forces all other thoughts from young Red's mind, it was a vision? Not a strange dream? That's weird; he's never had a vision before. "Why'd you give me a vision? I thought they came on their own"

" _Oh they do, but sometimes I send them myself as well. I sent you this one, so you can see that there's someone in my home who needs you… Little Nibbler has yet to hatch from her egg, but when she does she'll be all alone in this world"_ A sorrowful tone fills her voice, pity for the unborn baby.

Charmander's scowl returns to his shaking head, along with his crossed arms. _"That's fucking low… Guilt tripping us into going, that's low"_

A shrug of Red's shoulders tells him he's not as bothered by her guilt trip as he is. "She's a Mom Charmander, that's what they do. You should hear Mom when she's guilting me and Lily, it's horrible"

" _Oh yes, the way she wields guilt she should be in the army"_

The scowl across Charmander's face evolves into an angry snarl. _"THIS IS BULLSHIT! That mother fuckin' kid ain't nothin' to do with us, why the fuck should be we care what happens to her?"_

"Shut your mouth" Red said bluntly, with a scowl across his own face. "I'll fucking go… Just need a little time to say goodbye and get my shit, but we'll leave soon"

" _You have made the right decision Red, I'm proud of you… My Apprentice. You won't regret this decision, I promise. This path won't be easy, it'll be full of pain and fear, but if you both walk it, then you'll both become more than you ever thought you could"_

Fear begins to set into the young Knight, so much so that his body begins to visibly tremble. Pain and fear… That's all that's waiting for him once he leaves the safety and security of his home. But if he stays, then he'll have to watch those he cares about die.

He steels his courage and takes a calming breath, allowing him to speak once again. "How can I find you?" It's a simple question, but one that is vital for him to begin his journey.

" _If you meditate again Red, then I will be able to gift you with the invitation. With every step you take, you will know where to make the next one… Before you even say it Charmander, it wasn't me who decided to make it this way. It was Arcy. He worries about me, and put these security measures in place"_

The auburn brown hair covered head of Red bows in respect; he pulls himself into a meditative pose and takes the first steps in completing her task. "It will be done Me… Master"

As he begins his meditation, Charmander just looks around confused. _"Who the fuck is Arcy? Sounds like Arceus only short… OH HELL NO! I said we don't wanna hear your god dam pet names for each other! What you two do is your own business, we don't wanna fucking hear it!"_

Even as Charmander continues his anger filled rant, regarding the use of pet names in his presence, Red's focus on the task at hand remains as focused as a laser beam. Within seconds his Aura begins to burn across his flesh, shinning brighter than it did only a few minutes ago.

The angry rant of the fire lizard is broken when his eye spots the light shining from his silent brother. _"The fuck? That was quuuuiiiii… HOLY SHIT!"_ His jaw hangs open, as the light surrounding Red engulfs him and lifts him off the ground.

Without so much as moving a muscle, the scrawny frame of Red is lifted a foot off the earth, still in his meditative pose. _"There's some exorcist shit goin' down here… What the fuck is wrong with my life? Why does trouble seem to radiate around this moron?"_ Charmander asked, his face contorted into a freaked out expression. _"Do you need an exorcism? 'Cause I ain't doin' that"_

Mew's girlish giggle fills their minds again, breaking Red's meditation, forcing him to drop back down to the earth with a thud. _"He doesn't need an exorcism, don't be silly. He's a trouble maker, and trouble tends to follow its source. Besides, you can hardly talk; I saw what you did to his bed… Not only did you puke into it, but you took a dump on it!"_

A dark smirk forms across the mischievous face of Charmander. _"Hehehehehehehe, his face was priceless"_

His words birth a dark scowl across the face of his trainer, which is aimed directly at him. "I'll fucking get you back for that one… Puking's one thing, but you took a shit on my pillow. Not fucking cool"

" _Both of you behave yourselves. Once you start this journey, you will both become the stuff of nightmares… You will both be feared by the Paladins, some of them will even fear you more than they do their Master… But you Red, you will become something far worse. You will become a living legend, a Monster even the Fear Masters will tremble and bow before"_

" _You will both be proud, to call you a Monster"_

* * *

 **Well that's fucking ominous, Red's goanna be a Monster! Well if you read the summery, then you already knew that :/**

 **Maybe now Red's lack of shoes and socks makes sense, can you imagine the cost of them? He'd get through them like a kid through sugar.**

 **The Beast now has a purpose, one that will be fully revealed in time. But not now. Hehehehehehe. I FEEL EVIL TODAY!**

 **HALLE-FUCKING-LUYA! Next Chapter's the last of this Arc! Chapter 6 is where the fun begins… (Puts on an evil toothy grin) Hehehehehehehehe, say goodbye to Red, and hello to the Monster…**

 **Red's a fucking moron, thinking he can pick and choose how he feels… Fucking idiot, but remember I do everything in this story for a reason, sometimes it's for lols, other times it's for important shit. This is a time for the latter.**

 **Credit to Jpr123, you're fic Born Into a New World, which is awesome by the way, inspired the Black Fire used by the Beast. Yes I got his permission to use it, so don't even start. From what I've seen of it so far, I don't think my version of the Black Fire is the same as yours, but if it is, then thanks!**

 **Until next Chapter guys, shit out a review, throw a suggestion at me, say I'm fucking insane, get angry and hurl something pointy at the computer… Do whatever you fucking want, I don't care… OK I lied I** _ **do**_ **care, please drop a review.**

 **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	5. Friends never say goodbye

**Chapter 5: Friends never say goodbye**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to Wolfblade84 and NightGale45, thanks so much for the reviews. The purpose of the Knights is just beginning to be revealed. I have a more interesting way to reveal it, planned out.**

 **Thanks so much for all the support guys, it really means a lot to me and drives me to write another Chapter!**

 **This is the final chapter in this Arc, the prologue ends today. YAY!**

 **Enjoy guys!**

 **Disclaimer: How many times do I need to say this? No jokes, do I have to say this every chapter? I don't own Pokémon.**

 **Edit: OK guy's this chapter's been edited and is much better now, pay attention to the ending for an easter egg. 11/5/16**

* * *

 **Previously**

The Beast made its presence known, by possessing Red and attempting to claim the lives of those he cares about. Luke and Gallade gave it everything they had, but were defeated by its enormous power.

Before it could claim their lives, Lucario attacked the creature of Darkness. Despite the difference in power, he was able to defeat it and protect his family.

As Red and Charmander watched the stars together, an unexpected voice called out to them. Mew, the Mother of Creation, asked Red to come to her home and become her Apprentice. The Paladins are planning something, something that will spark a war between themselves and the Knights. Knowing this, Mew is trying to prepare.

Red and Charmander agreed to leave their home and venture to Mew's home, now they prepare for a long and pain filled journey, one that will strip Red of his very humanity.

* * *

" _Ain't you done yet Boss? Come on how much crap do we need?"_ Charmander whined, from the comfort of the floor.

"Shut up. I'm only packing the essentials" Red retorted, as he packed the last item into his backpack. "Let's see… Compass, map, watch… Ahhh… Yeah that's it"

Three days have passed since the Beast met its humiliating defeat, at the paws of Lucario. Since then, Red and Charmander have been doing everything they can to allow themselves to leave their home.

His training with his former Masters has given Red the knowledge and skills he'll need to stave off hunger during their trip, he knows what plants and fruits are safe to eat and how they can be used to treat any injuries they may receive. As for shelter, it's easy enough to find a place to allow them to sleep; Charmander's a walking Flamethrower so they won't need to worry about keeping warm.

All that's keeping them here now is Red's fear of leaving the only home he's ever known. He may have a responsibility to destroy the evil locked away inside of him, he may have a duty to Mew now, as her Apprentice, but at the end of the day he's just a child. A scared eight year old boy, who wants to be able to live a normal life, like everyone else.

Even before they were born, the twins haven't been apart from each other for more than a night. The thought of being away from Lily births tears in his eyes, he knows he'll be back one day, but it won't ease the pain that they'll both feel at being apart.

As twins the two of them have a special bond, one that doesn't need to be spoken of, they do practically everything together. Both the good and the bad… Now he must face the biggest challenge of his young life, and he must do it without her. A thought that terrifies him more than words could ever say.

The boy takes a breath, to try and calm himself and stop the tears from swelling in his eyes. Thinking like this is only making his pain worse, this is just like ripping a Band-Aid off, it's something he must do quickly and get it over with.

A flash of lightning fills their shared room with white light, Charmander turns his attention to the outside, shivering slightly as he does. _"Ah crap, it's raining again… We're not goin'_ _now_ _are we? I don't wanna walk in the rain"_ He complained.

His brother is so enthralled by his thoughts, that he didn't notice the lightning or his complaint. Red just closes up his tan backpack and tries to ready himself for what must be done.

In his hands, he carefully cradles the gift his crush gave to him on his birthday. The picture of them all together, the last time they'll be together for a long time… A tear leaks from his eyes, crawling down his soft skin. "I'm so sorry I have to go…" He thought aloud, as he pondered saying goodbye.

" _Wha?"_ Charmander asked with a confused face. His question is answered when he sees his trainer's hand. _"Hey, saying goodbye's goanna hurt I know… But I'm here with ya Boss, I'm right beside you"_ He said with a sympathetic tone.

A gentle nod of his head is all Red's able to do in response. He carefully places the picture in the folds of his backpack, treating it as though it's made of glass and is worth his weight in gold. While to many it's nothing, to him it is the most valuable possession he has in the world.

"Thanks buddy… Let's get this over with"

* * *

While they ready themselves for the hardest thing they've ever had to do, the rest of their family resides in the living room, minus Delia who's gone to work. As usual when she's working, Lucario is in charge of the house and keeping the twins from fighting too much.

However, it seems his usual services won't be required today. The twins are actually behaving themselves for once, Lily has tried to spark a fight between them, but Red hasn't reciprocated her desire for battle. Instead of their aggressive displays of affection, Lily's joined the rest of them in watching TV. Mimey has his favourite cooking show on, allowing him to take notes on recipes he'd like to try.

Lucario resides on the couch, leaving a space open for the boys, who are still in their room together. Lily is, as usual, sitting on the coffee table with Torchic in her arms. Like her brother, she too opened a Connection with her starter; the two of them have been all but inseparable since. Torchic has grown a little more confident since the change, but he still has his timid nature. Mimey remains in his chair, with a pen and notepad in his hands to take notes with.

" _Why's that man wearing a dress?"_ Torchic asked innocently. Having never seen a cooking show before, he finds it quite interesting.

His sweet chirps are all that's making this show bearable for Lily, coaxing giggles from her every so often. "It's called an apron Torchic; you wear it to stop your clothes from getting dirty when cooking… But it's funny though"

" _Why's it say 'Kiss the cook'?"_ He asked with innocent eyes, as he looked straight up at his sister.

She covers her mouth with a free hand, trying not to earn a scolding from Mimey for interrupting his show. "'Cause he wants one of the women in the audience to give him a kiss… Poor bastard, he can't get any attention normally, so he resorts to that" She joked.

An amused grin falls across Lucario's wrinkled face; her words coax a chuckle from him. Little Torchic falls back against her, laughing his feathers off with his oversized feet kicking out wildly. The annoyed scowl of Mimey quickly silences him again though, allowing the previous silence to return, broken only by the TV.

Despite the look of annoyance from his friend, Lucario continues to grin at her joke. _"Don't put ideas like that in his head Lily. Torchic it's a joke apron, that's all"_ He said kindly.

A heavy pout from his Granddaughter is his reward. "Kill joy" She muttered as she pulled Torchic into a tighter hug.

With a roll of his eyes, Lucario stands up and makes his way to his Grandson's room, deciding that it's time for him to speak to them both. Regarding an important matter. _"Red, I'm afraid the time has come"_ He thought with a solemn expression across his face. _"It's better to just get it done quickly my son"_

* * *

"Thanks buddy… Let's get this over with" Red said, with a tone filled with dread.

 **Knock**

The sound of someone requesting entrance to their domain forces their attention towards the sheet of wood, which both allows them entrance and exit to their territory. _"Who are you and what do you want?!"_ Charmander growled.

He checks his brother's reaction, out the corner of his eye. Hoping that he's managed to stir up a hint of amusement. To his disappointment, there's nothing to be seen across Red's face but fear and dread, exactly what he can feel through their Connection.

" _Just open the door Charmander"_ Lucario called through the door, like Red he is not amused by the Fire type's attempt at humour.

With an amused grin on his face, Charmander crosses his arms and snickers silently. _"Have you brought an offering of food?"_ He called back. _"New rule now, you can't come in without bringing an offering of food"_

Not a moment later the door opens, to reveal the wrinkled face of Lucario. He carefully navigates the piles of junk that litter the floor, closing the door in the process, but also leaving it open by a crack. _"Your Mother told you to clean this Tepig sty up days ago, why has it not been done?"_

Without breaking his solemn scowl, Red answers his question. "I don't _do_ clean Grampa. We like our room like this" His tone matches both the weather and his feelings, deep depression.

As if his tone and facial expression wasn't enough, Lucario's mastery of Aura allows him to pick up on the feelings of those he is close to, without the need for a Connection. _"Red, we need to talk… About why you are so sad"_ His voice turns serious, capturing the attentions of the boys fully.

Lucario's deep crimson eyes lock onto Red's powerful electric blue orbs, reflected in the eyes of the young, is an undeniable sense of pain. Terrible pain. His serious expression softens, allowing his own pain to be seen.

" _I know Red… I know you are leaving us"_ His eyes glisten with the pain those words brought him.

The blood drains from the faces of both the boys; neither of them was expecting him to be so blunt about it, or to even know yet. _"Ah shit…"_ Charmander growled, as his hand slammed into his face.

Ignoring his comment, Lucario continues with his painful words. _"I was there when she spoke to you both, sitting on the roof, meditating to regain my strength. Her voice carried far enough for me to hear… Mew herself has offered to train you and you have accepted. I cannot lie, I'm not happy that you're leaving, but I couldn't be prouder of you, both of you"_ A ghost of a smile graces his wrinkled face, as his tears threaten to leave their home.

The boy himself is unable to form a response, the pain of this dreaded conversation is too much for him to handle. He can only try to pull his eyes from those of his Grampa, to stare at the floor solemnly, but he can't even do that. Once again he is imprisoned by his own body, forced to do something he doesn't want to.

" _She has trained our kind throughout history Red, but she has only done so when she feels that they need her help, when they have true need of her guidance… She must have foreseen the Beast and waited for the chance to help you. A disturbing thought, someone outside the family has been watching you; if she were anyone else I'd challenge her for it…"_ His voice trails off, but then comes again, stronger than before.

" _Had you refused her offer Red, I would have been forced to intervene and accept on your behalf. She can do far more for you, then either of your old 'Masters' ever could"_ His tone turned venomous, at the mention of Luke and Gallade.

"Why do you hate them so much Grampa?" The question fell from Red's lips, before he could contemplate it properly. "I get hating Gallade, I hate him too, but why Luke? He's been like a Dad to us"

The previously soft eyes of Lucario sharpen once again at the mention of the word 'Dad'. His head snaps to the side, as his teeth grind together in his mouth and an angry snarl forces his lips to curl into his gums.

Charmander watches his reaction, studying it for a moment, before coming to a conclusion. _"You REALLY hate them, Boss I don't think its good idea to make him angrier than he is. He beat the shit out of the Beast; think what he could do to us"_ A trickle of sweat runs down his head, at the memory of the Beast.

With a shake of his head, Red responds without thought. "Grampa'd never hurt us Charmander, he might put us on our asses if we go too far in a fight, but he wouldn't hurt us" He said with certainty.

The former Champion takes a breath to calm himself, he cannot allow his anger to bubble and burn on the surface like that, neither of these two has any idea what Luke and Gallade have done, so they cannot be blamed for thinking highly of them.

" _We have a history"_ He replied with a hint of sharpness in his tone. _"Master and I trained them both, along with a few others. Leave it at that. Now, let's get back on topic. When were you planning on telling us about this little trip of yours?"_

His venomous tone vanishes the moment his words shift back towards the matter at hand. A concerned look meets Red and Charmander's gaze, forcing their heads to hang low with shame. They didn't have any intention of leaving without saying goodbye, but they had planned to do it in a way that many would consider cowardly.

"When… When we walked out the door. Goodbye's too painful Grampa" His voice trembles as he speaks.

" _I told 'im to leave a note and just jump out through the window when you're all sleeping, but he said it wouldn't work"_ Charmander said, while giving his trainer a death glare. _"We could have been half way to Hoenn by now, but_ _no_ _, don't listen to Charmander"_ His voice carries sarcasm.

The eyebrow of the elder rises across his fur, surprised by the plan the young Fire type had come up with. He believes that he can simply walk away? It seems he's not aware of the powers a trained Knight wields; otherwise he wouldn't have come up with such a ridiculous plan of escape.

" _That would never have worked"_ He said bluntly. _"I could easily track either of you down. I would simply need to search for your Auras, and then it would have simply been a matter of time until I found you both and dragged you back here to face the wrath of Delia… I'm telling you now Charmander, you've never known fear until you piss Delia off"_ Fear drips down his fur, in the form of a sweatdrop.

Unconvinced, the young Fire starter simply crosses his arms and shakes his head. _"Ooh the big bad Mommy's goanna yell at me. I'm_ _so_ _scared"_ He said with a sarcastic tone.

His ignorance to the wrath of an angered woman sends chills down the spines of those who _do_ know why she's to be feared. _"If you say so Charmander. Red, when are you planning on leaving?"_ Lucario asked, to both change the subject and pry more information out from him.

The child in question lowers his gaze to the floor once again; he was expecting a question like this, but answering it is going to be harder than he thought. His every fibre tells him to say never, to say he's going to stay here with his family… But he can't. To say that would be a lie, something he can't say to his Grampa.

After years of love, teachings, help and training, lying to Lucario is something the twins just can't do, it's something they'll never do. Plus with his advanced senses, he'd detect deceit in a heartbeat.

Red takes a breath, to try and force back his building tears. "As soon as we can. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back" He whispered, somehow saying it aloud makes it seem more real, something he doesn't want to believe.

Charmander looks up at his brother with a sympathetic stare. _"Hey, we'll be back Boss… It's a promise. Even if I have to carry you back here, I'll get your ass back"_

Pride swells inside the old, but strong heart of Lucario. The scene playing out before him melts the pump in his chest, despite his severe attitude problem, his rude behaviour and his hyper aggression, Charmander does have a caring side to him.

What inspires the pride in his eyes is how much Red has changed since he bonded with Charmander. He's matured so much, in such a short amount of time, now he knows that they'll both grow into strong and brave men, so long as they stick together.

Yet another tear leaks from his eyes, this one contains no sadness, only his pride and joy. _"I'm so proud of you, both of you. Red, you're so much like your Grandfather… You even look a lot like him, when he was your age anyway. When I look at you, I see so much of him…"_ He pauses for a moment, to contemplate how he should say what must come next.

" _You are already a Knight to be proud of, but I know you will grow into a Knight who is stronger, prouder and braver than your Grandfather ever was… You will become a living incarnation, of what it means to be a Knight Red, I know it. I know you'll make the order proud, to call you brother"_ More of his pride crawls down his fur, before being whipped away and forgotten. _"But you already make me proud, to call you my part of my family"_

Charmander looks upon his elder with pride, if Red will become something like this, what will he become? The dragon standing at his side, well he'll be a dragon one day, after he evolves.

Unlike his brother, no pride can be found across Red's face. Only fear has been written across his flesh, fear of not being able to meet his Grampa's expectations, fear of being a disappointment to him. "That's a lot to expect… Why can't I just be like everybody else? Why do I have to be 'the Monster'? Why can't I just be a normal boy?"

The lips of Lucario curl into a comforting smile, one that eases the fear in Red slightly. _"Red, are any of us normal? No, none of us are or ever will be. But that's not a bad thing my son, normal people are boring, they never have any_ _real_ _fun… Mad people like us, we don't have fun, we_ _ **ARE**_ _the fun"_

Charmander gives him a questioning look, asking silently what he means by that.

" _It's not a requirement, being mad; to live here but it helps… And yes Charmander, you fit in perfectly here… You're just as mad as Red"_ Satisfied with the answer, the Fire type nods his head. _"Red, normal people don't know the true nature of this world… They don't know the sacrifices that we make so they can live in peace, they don't know the burden that's on our shoulder. But we do, we make sacrifices so they don't have to… Knowing this, do you still want to be normal?"_

The fear is still evident on the face of the child, but he is able to shake his head. It was just a moment of fear, a moment that he allowed to swallow him. He could never go back to what he was before he knew about the Knights and the Darkness, ignorance may be bliss, but the twins are both fighters.

Tis better to die fighting, than to live in ignorance.

Sensing that his fear has not yet been sated, Lucario continues. _"You are still afraid, afraid you won't live up to our expectations?"_ A slight nod is his only answer, but it is all he needs.

" _Red, a man can do great things easier than you may think. Doing what you think is right, instead of what is easy, is a great thing. Staying your hand when necessary, and using it when it must be done is a great thing… A man can do the greatest of things, when he knows that enough is enough and does what must be done to bring the fighting to an end… I see all of these things in you Red, but I also see more… I know you will do more, I saw it, long ago… I had a vision of the future, one regarding both you and Lily"_

The fear that was evident across the flesh of the child vanishes, replaced by curiosity. He had a vision? About him and his sister? What did he see? What will they become?

These and many more questions form in the mind of Red Ketchum, forcing the previous fear he held of disappointing those he cares about from his mind. Charmander too looks up at his elder with a curious grin; he too wants to know what the future holds for them both. _"Well come on then, spill your guts"_

With an amused smirk across his lips, the Fighting/Steel Grampa Lucario continues. _"When Master was on his deathbed, dying from disease that had no cure, he asked me to do something for him… He asked me to watch over the family, to love and care for you all in his place. To protect you all with my life… I made a promise to him, that I would do so and I was rewarded with a vision of the future… One that gave Master the strength he needed to die the death of a Knight, do you want to know what I saw?"_

Their response is instantaneous, a flurry of nodding heads and demands for him to just tell them already, mostly from the ever rude Charmander.

His amused smirk grows wider, as he chuckles at their antics. _"A simple yes would have done, well then… I saw you both as grown men, you Charmander as an incredibly huge Charizard, one who had fought in more battles than even I have. Red, what I saw in you still scares me to this day… You too looked as though you had survived a terrible war, but you had both grown strong from it"_

Neither Red nor Charmander dares make a sound; their attention has been completely enthralled by the words of their elder.

" _Charmander, I recognise the mighty dragon I saw as you, by your eyes… They're the same as the one I saw in the vision. Well, one of them is. But Red, you were different… Very different. The phrase battle worn doesn't even come close to describing the way you looked… But that was not the focus of my vision, no, what I saw next still terrifies me"_ His voice trembles in fear, as the memory of that vision returns to him.

" _You were fighting, in a battle against an opponent that was powerful, too powerful for you to win against. You were in single combat, to the death"_ His cold tone forces his eyes to the earth, as they tremble at the thought of what he must say. _"You should have been dead, your wounds should have killed you, but you were still standing… Refusing to let him kill the ones you cared about. Whoever he was, he'd pushed you far beyond your limits, to the point where I barely recognised the Monster I saw as you… But I know it was you, because you refused to surrender, you refused to let your injuries kill you; you refused to let him end another life. I heard your voice, saying that you wouldn't let him kill anyone else… No matter the cost"_

Fear returns to the face of Red, hearing his future has caused the terror to return. But this time it is not fear of being a disappointment, it is fear of himself. What could he have done, for everyone to suddenly see him as a Monster? "What… Why did you call me a Monster Grampa?"

A trickle of sweat runs down Lucario's face, he forces himself too look his Grandson in the eye. _"Because that's what Mew said you would become, a Monster that strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies. She knows more than any of us ever will, so I will respect her by referring to you by what she did"_

" _Even though I have seen what you will become with my own eyes"_ He thought with a mixture of fear and awe, before continuing.

" _What I saw, was you… Your left arm had been crushed, rendering it completely unusable and nothing but dead weight. Your gut had been sliced open by what I think was a Dragon Claw, then had been resealed temporarily by what looked like burns… The last, and by far the worst wound, was a three inch wide circular hole, burned straight through your chest… The cause of this injury, I am certain of. A close range Hyper Beam, it went straight through you, leaving a smoking hole behind… Somehow you were still standing, despite the hole in your lung, fighting to defend those you cared about and your home"_

His words have stolen the speaking ability from Red, along with the blood that should be filling his face. Suddenly he is aware of his limbs; he rubs his left arm as phantom pain surges through it, caused by the knowledge of an injury that has yet to occur.

Unlike the boy, Charmander is excited about what he has heard. His eyes glisten with anticipation, for what could only be a fight to remember. _"Don't stop!"_ He complained. _"What happened next?! Did he win?!"_

With a shake of his head, Lucario answers his question. _"I don't know, the vision shifted before I was able to see more. But I did see a portion of what could only be the aftermath. Red collapsed into the earth, coughing up blood, no doubt from the injury to his lung… There was so much blood… The next thing I saw, Red, you were lying on a pile of leafs, surrounded by those you cared about, Charmander you were the closest to him, stopping anyone from getting to close… With the exception of a certain someone. You had become a Charizard, one that I wouldn't be keen to face in battle"_

Pride forms across Charmander's face, a great deal of pride. He'll become a mighty Charizard, one who's strong enough to scare even Lucario, who faced the Beast head on without fear. _"Nice"_

" _I learned the harsh truth from that vision Red; you will become a Knight who strikes fear into those who know your legend… Your power will reach a level so high, you will even strike fear into the hearts of the Masters… The ones who rule the order"_ Before he is able finish his tale, Red interrupts him with a panicked tone.

"B-b-b-but I don't want that! I don't want people be scared of me…" He whimpered, petrified of what he will become. "I'm not a bad guy, I don't want to be like that Grampa" His head drops to the earth as he speaks.

With a warm smile across his face, Lucario gently lifts his face up by his chin, allowing him to look him in the eye again. _"Those of us who want power, who crave and yearn for it, often abuse and misuse it for their own gain. But those of us who don't seek it, but it have it thrust upon us, always find ways to use it for the benefit of others… Would you like me to tell you what I saw regarding Lily?"_

Both the boys grow curious as to the fate of the only girl living here, besides the twins' mother. They nod their heads, eagerly waiting to hear her fate.

" _She too was an adult, a grown woman who had allowed her hair to grow long enough to put it into a long ponytail. Like you Red, she too will grow into a powerful Knight, but unlike you she will not have a legend to accompany her name… In the vision, I saw her rising above the flames of war, to summon her deepest powers and allow her to create a single powerful attack, to protect someone she loved deeply… The vision ended before I saw who it was she was trying to protect, but I fear that her blast wasn't strong enough… I just knew that it wasn't enough"_ He said with a solemn look across his face. _"But she still made me proud by trying, you both have and will"_

A smile finally graces Red's face, knowing that his sister will be OK without him, offers him no end of comfort. Now he knows that Lily will be fine without him, he can leave happy. His own fate is unimportant, what matters is his family… Now all he has to do is say goodbye, and now he has the strength to do it. "Thanks Grampa, that really helped"

Their private conversation is broken by the sound of the entrance to the shared room creaking open slightly. All eyes shift to it, just in time to see the emerald eye of Lily along with the cute eye of Torchic, peeking in through the crack Lucario left behind.

The unmistakable sight of tears, fall down the tender skin of Lily, having heard everything that was said between them… Besides what Charmander had to say. But she heard enough, enough to stab her young heart a thousand times and birth the unmistakable pain of loss.

With a gesture, Lucario summons them both into the room and demands they stop eavesdropping. Together they Mareepishly make their way into the room, unable to take their eyes off the ones who will be leaving them. They both offer their apologies for eavesdropping, saying they simply wanted to know what was wrong with Red.

The twins simply stare at each other for a moment, neither of them wanting to say anything; because they know they'll have to speak about the pain they're feeling. After a moment, Lily is forced to break the silence, even if it's just so she can get this over with, so she can cry without them seeing her.

"Are… Are you really leaving?" She cried, as fresh tears fell from her eyes.

The sight of her tears stabs his heart, far worse than the talk with his Grampa did. He forces himself to nod, so he can try to avoid crying himself. Seeing that she is not satisfied with this gesture, he bites the bullet and risk spilling his own tears.

"I'm sorry Lily… But I've got to go. You'll all die if I don't; I make this sacrifice, so you all don't have to. But I promise I'll be back, as soon as I master my powers and the Beast is dead, I'll come back" His voice trembles and cracks under the strain, but he holds strong and does not shed tears.

The flow of tears grows stronger, burning her eyes and reddening her face. Through these outward signs of her distress, her twin brother is easily able to see her pain. He was wrong. Very wrong.

He thought this would be harder on him than it would be her, but he was wrong. Before long she breaks down into a wailing fit of tears. Unthinking he pulls his sister in close and gives her the tightest hug his scrawny arms will allow him, a hug which she heartily reciprocates.

"Why?! Why're you going away?! I don't want you to!" She wailed into his shoulder. He pulls her in tighter, sending comfort through them both and making this goodbye slightly less painful.

While trying to hold his own tears back, he tells her everything he can. About the Beast, about Mew asking him to become her Apprentice and about the war that is to come. Together they vent their frustrations and pain at not being able to change what must be done, despite her wailing, she listens carefully, hanging off his every word.

"I… I don't know what to say" She cried. "We've never been apart for more than a night Red, not even before we were born… I don't know what to say"

While the two of them speak, Lucario has taken a moment to rest his bones. He sits on Red's bed, with both Charmander and Torchic either side of him. Like his sister, Torchic's crying like a baby, as if the heart breaking scene wasn't enough to coax tears from his eyes, he can feel the pain of his sister directly through their Connection.

"Then don't say anything" Red weakly rasped back. "It is what it is, it's what must be done and it's what I _need_ to do… I need to do this, so I can be free… I'll come back as soon as I can Lily, I'll come home to you all… I promise"

Her small hands cling to him tighter, as if trying to hold onto him for as long as possible, before they have to break their hug. They both know it'll be the last one they have for a long time, just how long neither of them knows, but they know it will be longer than either of them wants it to be.

"Red… Promise me something, please" She continues to cry into his shoulder.

A lump forms in his throat, one that causes the flesh to ache. His tears threaten to fall from his eyes if he speaks, so he simply nods his head, silently agreeing to her promise.

"Promise me we can go on a journey together when you get back, all three of us, me, you and Serena… Please promise me that Red" Her tears continue to fall from her eyes and continue to crack her voice.

Her request forces his eyes to widen, they'd often talked about going on a journey when they were old enough to get a Pokédex, but in all the recent chaos, he'd forgotten their shared dream… Both wanting to compete in the Pokémon league and win it, earning them the chance to face the Elite four.

His tears fade before they're able to fall, allowing a smile to form across his face yet again. "Do you really need to ask? Course we're goin' on a journey together, and I'll beat you when we do" His voice regains its usual strength and vigour.

After a few more minutes of crying, Lily finally lifts her head from her brother's shoulder, to look him in the eye. Her own eyes are a stinging shade of crimson, from shedding so much of their fluid, but they still hold a glimmer of hope. "You try it, see what happens" She said with confidence, sounding more like herself than before. "I'll grind you into the dust"

Seeing them like this melts the heart of their Grampa, forcing a kind smile across his wrinkled face. His eyes wander to his gauntlets, to the Lucarionite embedded into the steel. The symbol of the bond he and his Master shared, before he died like a Knight. _"You'd be proud of them Master, just as proud as I am"_ He thought.

Torchic watches the heart-warming scene with now dry eyes, touched by the bond between the twins. Charmander takes a less emotional approach; he holds his jaw open and points into his mouth, while looking as though he's choking. _"You're goanna make me sick"_ He growled. _"Get the mushy crap over with already"_

An angry Peck on the back of the head is his reward for the rude comment. _"DON'T RUIN THE MOMENT!"_ Torchic angrily squawked.

The twins finally separate from their final embrace, grinning at each other as they do. Despite the sad nature of their talk, neither of them is feeling the negative emotion, not to an extreme degree anyway. _"How do you plan on telling your mother Red? You can't just tell her as you walk out the door, she'll hunt you down if you do"_ Lucario said, with a hint of fear.

A sweatdrop falls down Red's head, as he scratches the back of his head with a nervous expression. "I hadn't thought of that… Shit, guess I can't tell her like that"

"Oooohh… I'm goanna go to the forest for a while, I don't wanna be anywhere near here when you tell her" Lily said with fear. "No one's worse than Mom when she's angry… No one"

His knees buckle under his own weight, forcing him to the ground with a look of terror across his face. "Why me?" He whined pitifully.

* * *

Several hours have passed since the moment between siblings and yet the storm continues to rage on, stronger than ever. The mother of this dysfunctional family returned from her day job a couple of hours ago, she instantly relieved Lucario of his responsibilities and began preparing dinner for them all.

Despite his intentions to tell her as soon as he could, Red's stomach ruled his head and forced him to keep quiet, at least until it had its fill. Charmander was more than willing to go along with this idea, as soon as the word 'food' was mentioned; the memory of their impending departure was forced away.

Now they've finished their meal, there's nothing stopping Red from doing this, other than his overwhelming guilt. Delia's always been emotional with things like this, whenever someone has to say goodbye in a cheesy movie she breaks down in tears… Now he's gotta go for real, just how badly is she goanna cry?

While Delia and Mimey wash up the plates and cutlery from the family's meal, her son and his brother stand in the doorway, waiting for the chance they need. Charmander is getting impatient, they've been standing here for a while now and he's had enough. _"For fucks sake, just tell her so we go already"_ He complained. _"Come on I'm bored"_

With a scowl across his face, Red stomps his foot down on the tail of Charmander. "SHUT UP!" The Fire type clutches his tail between his hands, while shooting his brother a death glare and mutters a matching threat.

The sounds of their interactions remain unnoticed by Delia, who is focused on cleaning a particularly stubborn plate, no doubt used by Lily who loves making as much of a mess with her food as she can.

The auburn haired child waits for a moment, hoping against hope that his Mom will turn around and tell him she knows what he's going to say and that he can go… But no such occurrence will ever come to save him, he must do this himself and he must do it now, before he loses his nerve. "Mom… Can we talk please?" He murmured, just loud enough to be heard.

"Of course sweetheart, go right ahead" She replied without taking her eyes away from the plate in her hands. Her tone tells him that she's still focused on the chores, rather than what he has to say.

The death glare remains across Charmander's face, his anger still burns from where his tail was stamped on. _"I said get it over with!"_ He growled, as he chomped down onto Red's fingers.

"AGH!" Red yelped, not expecting the bite. "MOMI'MLEAVINGHOME!" He blurted out in less than a second.

The reaction from his mother is instantaneous; the plate she holds drops from her grasp. The round white dinning utensil collides with the tiled floor, shattering it into countless pieces, which whizz out in all directions before colliding with various other objects.

A proud smirk falls across Charmander's face. _"There you said it, can we go now? Fuck that, we'll go once the storm ends, until then I'm goanna watch TV. See ya fucker"_ With that, the Fire starter turns on his heel and trots into the living room.

The face of the auburn haired mother grows paler with each passing second, eventually reaching the point where it is as white as a sheet. The life and love drain from her eyes, leaving them hollow and empty. The more time goes by, the more she realises that the day has come… The day she loses her son.

The Psychic/Fairy Pokémon turns to face Red, with a damp dishcloth and a clean plate in his hands. Like Delia, he too has turned as pale as a ghost upon hearing this startling revelation.

Red watches his partner trot of to the living room, while giving him a death glare again. "Traitor" He muttered, only to be met with the middle finger of Charmander.

" _Fuck you Boss"_ He growled as he turned a corner, leaving his brother to face the wrath of Delia.

The auburn haired mother with the emerald green eyes slowly turns around to face her only son, her eyes glisten with tears that are desperate to leave her orbs of sight. As she does, she crushes the shards of plate under her feet and completely ignores their sounds. Unable to take her eyes off him, she utters a single word, a word that carries steel behind it.

"Why?"

He takes a few breaths, to try and calm himself, before he tells her everything there is to know. Telling her about Mew and her offer, about the Beast and what it threatened them all with and finally, about how he has to go to be able to keep them all safe.

For a moment silence follows his words, broken only by the sounds of her tears crashing into the floor. She stares at her son, unable to accept that he is leaving home, at his age! He's only eight years old and he's leaving already… She knew this would come one day, but not any time soon.

He can clearly see how much he has hurt her, the woman who gave birth to both him and his sister, then raised them both without the help of their dead-beat Dad. "I'm sorry Mom… I wish there was another way, but there isn't. I've gotta go…" His guilt overpowers him, forcing even more tears to swell in his eyes. "Mom please just yell at me already… Say something please"

Finally she does more than stare at him in disbelief, she silently makes her way to him and crouches down, allowing her to look him in the eye. Her tears continue to fall from her eyes, even as she wraps her arms around him to hug him as tightly as she can.

He doesn't return the hug; his guilt is too strong to let him, even if he wanted to. The effects of his Connection with Charmander are kicking in once again, the gesture of love from his mother fills him with extreme discomfort and disgust. He forces these negative feelings down though, knowing this could very well be the last hug he gets from her… For years.

Like her daughter before her, Delia wails uncontrollably into his shoulder, venting her feelings out in a guilt inducing display. His eyes burn and throb in his head, but he holds strong and refuses to let his tears fall freely, if he does then he'll only cause his Mom even more pain.

After a moment of crying, which feels like an eternity of agony for her son, Delia finally manages to compose herself enough to speak once again. "It's here… The day I've been dreading since you and your sister were born, the day I lose one of you… I always knew you'd leave us, but I thought you'd go on a journey to become a Champion, like your Grandfather, I never once thought you'd leave so you could protect us… I never thought you'd leave this soon" She whimpered.

He wants to answer her, to tell her something that could bring her comfort, but he can't. He has no words to ease her pain; only ones that will intensify their combined suffering. In place of words, he hesitantly returns her hug. To his great surprise, instead of screaming and pushing him away, she hugs him tighter, as if trying her hardest to stop him from leaving her.

"It's just like your Dad all over again… You're leaving us. You'll love your new life so much, you'll forget about us and won't ever come back" She wailed, as she squeezed him tighter. "I lost my husband and now I'm losing my son"

The tears that were building in his eyes vanish into distant memory, replaced by stern scowl. A deep, twisted root of hatred digs into his very soul, at the comparison between him and the worthless piece of shit who abandoned them all. "I'm nothing like him" He thought darkly.

"Never say that" He spat venomously. "I'm nothing like him. I'm not running away from you all, I'm making a sacrifice so the rest of you will be safe. It's totally different" Her wails grow louder, forcing his tone to soften. "I'm sorry Mom… I've got to go, but I'll be back as soon as I can, honest I will"

Her wails slowly soften as she clings to him tighter, refusing to let him go. Despite the sincerity of his words, she refuses to believe him, in favour of her own conclusion.

"Don't lie to me Red… I know the truth. You want to find your Dad; you're just using this as an excuse. You want to find him because I'm a horrible mother" Her sobs grow stronger, dampening his jacket even further.

For a moment there is only the sound of her sobbing, even as Mimey silently covers his mouth with his hands. The Psychic/Fairy can clearly see that which Delia cannot, the rage building in the electric blue eyes of her son. She's hit a nerve; she's stabbed it and rubbed salt into the wound.

His breathing sharpens and deepens, in an attempt to quell the furry his Mom has unwittingly sparked inside of him. Knowing she has done wrong, she slowly pulls herself away from him and gazes into his eyes with a soulful look of apology.

As she silently pleads for forgiveness, his pang of anger dissolves away. "I don't give two shits about that scum bag" His voice is devoid of emotion, but remains firm and strong. "Even if I met him today, I'd want nothing to do with him. All he'll ever get from me, is a kick in the balls"

Seeing the passion burning in his young, but strong eyes, it's more than enough to convince her that he's telling the truth. He's never lied to her about anything like this before, and deep down she knows he wouldn't start now.

For a brief moment, she feels as though she's talking to her husband Drake, the man who left them all behind without so much as a goodbye. The moment doesn't last long though, she once again realises that it's her son standing before her. The two of them are so alike, in more ways than one… She knows how this will end.

"It doesn't matter what anyone says, does it? You're leaving no matter what I say or do, aren't you?" She asked with a shaking voice. Without saying a word, he nods his head, no words need to be spoken, the fire burning in his eyes tells her everything she needs to know.

She takes a deep breath and wipes away her tears, she recognises the look in his eyes from their Dad, he always wore this look when his mind was made up… He still might, wherever he is.

Regardless, she knows there's nothing she can ever do to change his mind, it's like fighting a fire with Gasoline, the more you pour, the fiercer it burns. All she can do is enjoy what time she has left with her family all together… Well as together as it can be, without the family father.

With a pained expression across her face, she takes a breath and speaks. "I'm not happy about this Red; I don't want you to go. But I know you're not goanna listen to anyone, you'll find a way to do it… I won't waste what little time we have with us all together by fighting with you, does your sister know yet?"

He slowly nods his head, the tears that mere moments ago threatened to fall from his eyes return, stronger than before. He remains strong, refusing to taint this moment with weeping.

Delia once again pulls him into a hug, without hesitation he returns it, despite the negative feelings that come from it. "Did you say Mew was the one who asked you?" He nods his head into her shoulder, knowing if he speaks he'll cry like a baby. "Well… At least I know you'll be safe. If there's anyone I can trust to take care of you, it's Mew"

A tear leaks from her eyes as she pulls him in tighter, it's now her turn to say something she doesn't want to. "Red, you and Lily need to talk to Serena"

He nods his head, his eyes glistening with pent up tears. "I know… I haven't told her yet"

"No. There's something else you both need to hear, but its best if it comes from her and not me" Her voice quivers with fear, fear of the pain her children will undoubtedly feel, when they hear her words.

* * *

The following morning, the soon to be shattered home of the Ketchums is eerily quiet, even the tiniest and faintest of sounds can clearly be heard throughout the entire home. The most obvious of sounds, is the ticking of the clocks.

The boys who are about to leave the only home they've ever known reside in their room, having gathered the last of their supplies, the only thing holding them back is Serena. Red must say goodbye to her before they leave, she's one of his closest friends, he can't leave without saying goodbye, no matter how painful it'll be… It must be done.

"Can I say it though?" He thought with a solemn look across his face. "Will my heart let me say goodbye to her?"

He lies down on his bed, knowing he'll never lie across it again, and thinks about the time the three of them have spent together. They met a few months ago, in the peak of summer… It feels like years ago, he has so many wonderful memories of her, of the time they've all spent together.

He pulls out the picture she gave to both him and Lily, the one taken on their birthday and holds it in his hands, staring at it without blinking. Seeing her smile like that sends his heart into a frenzy of beats, forcing blood through his face. He shuts his eyes and forces the picture back into his bag, as delicately as he can. "She's my friend, nothing more, nothing less… And that's the way it'll always be" He thought.

Charmander rolls his eyes from his position on the nightstand; he threw the alarm clock out the window when it made the fatal mistake of waking him early. So now there is space for him to stand with his arms crossed and an angry scowl across his face. _"For fucks sake, get your ass out of bed! So you gotta so goodbye, boo-fucking-who"_ He complained. _"Get up so we can go already, the rain's stopped so we can_ _finally_ _go!"_

With a death glare across his face, Red sharply bolts into a sitting position. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He snapped back. "We'll go after we say goodbye, but we gotta wait for her to get here first. Now shut up before I throw you out the window"

The Fire starter growls at him, with an angry snarl across his scally face. _"You don't have the balls"_

While the two of them argue, Lily and Torchic stand outside their door, listening to them argue. The Fire starter of Hoenn acts as a translator, to tell his sister everything that's being said. The two of them enjoy the sounds of their fighting; it brings a smile to her lips.

"It's goanna be a long time until we hear this again Torchic… We won't hear them again for ages" Tears form in her eyes, as she says these painful words. Sensing her sadness, Torchic rubs his head against her leg and coos cutely, to try and force a smile across her lips.

Moved by his coos and affection, she scoops him up and embraces him tightly, enjoying the warmth from his feathers against her face. "We gotta stay strong Torchic; we can't let this time be tainted by tears"

He nuzzles up against her, to try and soothe her pain a little. _"He'll be back, he said he would. You never know he might get lucky and come home before Christmas"_ He chirped.

His kind chirps finally force a smile to break free from her sadness, neither of them believes his words, but they want to… So very badly. "Let's get this over and done with, its goanna hurt us both, let's just get it done"

With that she pushes the door open, to see her brother and his Pokémon growling at each other, with their foreheads pressed against the others. It seems that they're trying to push each other back, but are unable to do so.

" _You wouldn't dare"_ Charmander growled viciously.

"Wanna bet?" Red growled back, it seems neither of them knows they have an audience. "I'll toss your ass out that window faster than you can bite me"

By clearing her throat, Lily successfully captures the attention of the arguing brothers, who look at her with enraged snarls. "WHAT?!" They growled simultaneously.

Their rage quickly flickers away, as they see the depression written across her soft face. "Guys, there's someone we need to talk to… She's in the living room" Her voice quivers with both pain and fear.

The four of them silently make their way to the living room, while she didn't say it; they all know who's waiting for them. Their honey haired friend, the last person Red needs to say goodbye to.

What should take a few seconds takes several minutes, as they all walk as slowly as they possibly can, trying to stall for as much time as possible. Before long they reach the living room, to find a single honey haired girl sitting on the couch with her Fire Pokémon on her lap.

The normal sapphire like eyes of Serena are sparkling with tears, the surrounding flesh is inflamed and swollen from shedding so much of the lubricating fluid. Charla can be seen trying to comfort her friend, who each day becomes more and more like a sister to her, but her attempts to draw a smile across her face are in vain.

The moment the electric blue orbs of sight capture the image of their friend, a horrific ache slams into Red's chest, as though he has taken a Power-Up-Punch square in the heart. He can't bear seeing her like this, but at the same time he can't take his eyes off her.

His every fibre is screeching for him to comfort her, to make her feel better. But how can he? She probably knows that he's leaving and that's why she's been crying, so how can he make her feel better, when he's the reason she's upset?

The eyes of Serena reflect with a glassy sheen, seeing all and yet nothing. While they allow her to see the world, she's simply staring into space, as she is deep in thought. She's in the same state as she was when Lily left her here, nothing has changed.

"Serena, we're back" Lily said weakly.

The unfocused vision of the honey haired trainer slowly turn to take in the sight of her friends, the instant she spies her crush, she bursts out into a fresh wave of tears. She quickly covers her face with her hands, to try and hide the pain dripping down her cheeks.

Pain stabs into both of the twins, seeing their friend crying sends them both into a frenzy of emotion. The sight of his friend in tears stones the heart of Red, it hurts far worse than anything he's felt before in his life, even worse than the beating he received from Lucario only days ago.

His sister is overpowered by the singular desire to comfort her friend, unthinking she drops Torchic onto the ground and takes the free seat next to Serena. In the next second she pulls her into the tightest hug she can and gently rubs her back, to try and soothe her. Without hesitation Serena wraps her arms around her in return and cries into her.

Charmander spies Charla being squished between the girls, he watches her struggle and squirm her way to freedom as she gasps for air. _"Can't… Breathe"_

He snickers at her struggles for freedom. _"You're stuck 'cause your ass is too fat Harpy"_ He is met by the death glare of his smaller counterpart, she growls a death threat to him, as she pulls herself to freedom.

Silence falls across the room, broken only by the sound of Serena venting her emotions onto her friend. Lily continues her attempts to soothe her friend for many minutes, before she finally breaks the silence. "What's wrong?" Her voice is barely audible, as well as emotionless.

Red remains still as a statue, paralysed by his fear of causing his friend further pain. This kind of fear he cannot face head on, he cannot do anything, but wait for her to calm enough for him to say he's sorry.

The sobbing child continues to cling to her friend; her tears continue to bath both her face and the shoulder of Lily's hoodie. For what feels like an eternity, but in reality is only a few seconds, she is unable to speak through her tears.

Little Charla rubs the side of her head against her trainer's leg, trying to offer her some much needed support. _"It's OK Serena, let it all out. You'll feel better after you do"_

" _Hey Harpy, she can't understand you"_ Charmander grumbled, before being introduced to the carpet by Charla's tail.

" _Shut your filthy mouth. I told you I'm not interested until you're an alpha"_ She countered with a smirk across her face. The muffled death threats of Charmander go unnoticed by all, as Serena becomes the focus of attention once again.

Without removing her face from the shoulder of Lily, Serena tries to speak through her tears, flesh and bone. "Buthgen yurgel hed faptheped"

None of the souls in the room were able to understand a single syllable of what she said, they heard nothing but gibberish. The Fire starter, partnered with Red, lifts his face from the carpet and looks at the honey haired blonde with a slack jawed look of confusion. _"Wha? Speak Kantionian you dumb bitch"_

The small, but strong, foot of Charla slams into the back of his skull and forces his face into the carpet once again. _"EAT THE CARPET! EAT IT!"_ She growled angrily as he squirmed under her rule, causing Torchic to sweatdrop at the sight.

Ignoring the makeshift battle at his feet, Red takes a breath, allowing him to steel his courage and break his silence. "Serena, stop. Take a moment, calm yourself down, lift your head and then try telling us that again. OK?" His voice mimics his sister's, devoid of life and emotion.

Upon hearing the sound of his voice, one of the greatest sounds in existence to her, she lifts her face from her friend's shoulder and gazes at her crush. Without her telling them to, her legs lift her off the couch and carry her over to him, all the while locking her sapphire eyes onto his electric blue ones.

As she makes her way to him, the flow of fluid from her eyes finally eases. He braces for a hard, and much deserved, slap across the face. While it's likely she wouldn't be able to cause him harm, he still doesn't want to be made a fool of.

She gazes deeply into his eyes, in their sterling surface; she sees that he's hurting as well. "I won't get to see them for a long time" She thought, causing the flow of tears to reignite.

Acting purely on instinct, he pulls her into a hug to try and soothe her pain, pain which he has caused. A voice begins to scream in his mind, sending fear down his spine. "What're you doing?! Let her go! You're only making it worse for her!"

Before he has the chance to act on this thought, she prevents him from doing as his conscience tells him to, by returning his kind gesture tenfold. Resting her face against his shoulder, she releases her emotion into him.

The room falls deathly silent, as all eyes stare at the two of them in shock, with the exception of Charla, who instead growls a warning to Charmander. _"Don't say a word, unless you want me to kick you where it_ _really_ _hurts"_

The male with the unimaginative name wants to tell her he's sorry, that it won't be forever and that he will come back for her, but his fear of causing her more pain holds him back. Forcing him to remain silent.

She doesn't attempt to leave his embrace, she won't let him go, she needs to stay here with him… Forever. For a moment she simply enjoys the feeling of him holding her tightly, trying to comfort her, but eventually all things must come to an end.

She lifts her head up and takes a breath, allowing her to speak at long last. "Something horrible has happened" Her voice cracks slightly, revealing her terrible pain.

Without thought he turns to her with a look of worry across his young face. "What happened?" His voice is filled with concern. Despite turning towards her, he makes no attempt to release his hold over her.

Her grip over her crush begins to weaken, as her nerve begins to crumble. How can she say this?

He holds her tighter, sending waves of comfort and strength through to her as well as a rush of blood to her cheeks. "It's OK Serena, whatever it is you can tell me. When you're ready, get it off your chest… I'll still be here after you're finished"

A combination of the tightened grip and his kind words sparks strength inside of her, allowing her to tighten her grip once again. "I don't wanna let you go Red… You make me strong and you make me happy" She thought. She finds the strength to carry on, she doesn't loosen her grip, but she does stop crying at long last.

"I'm moving away… My Daddy's in the National Guard, he's been reassigned to Kalos, that's why he hasn't been home when he should have been" She whispered, her voice barely audible to even the sensitive hearing of the twins.

"Mama's a Rhyhorn racer; she's going to compete in the Rhyhorn Grand Pre in Kalos. So they've decided that it's best for us to move there…" Her soft voice remains a whisper, but her pain can clearly be heard by them all. "Mama wants me to be a racer too, she says once we move there she's goanna start teaching me to do it too… I don't wanna race, I don't wanna move, I wanna stay here with you guys"

The twins and Torchic remain frozen in place, unable to believe their ears. She wasn't upset because she found out about Red and Charmander leaving, she's upset because _she's_ leaving.

Charla drops her head down, saddened for her trainer. She's not close to anyone here, other than her new family, so this move doesn't bother her nearly as much as it does Serena, but seeing her sad makes her sad too.

Finally able to lift his head up again, Charmander spits out a few stray follicles of carpet and growls at Charla. _"You fucking Harpy bitch"_ He snarled, before turning to Red. _"Boss get the mushy crap over with so we can go already! I'm tired of all this lovey-dovey bullshit!"_

His anger filled growls remain ignored by all those who can understand them, in favour of listening to Serena finish her confession. "I'm moving in a few days, Mama only told me this morning. She was organising it since before we went to camp… That's why she sent me there, so she could arrange everything without upsetting me… She told your Mom the day she brought me here, that's one of the reasons she helped me"

Pain stabs into all three of their hearts, the feeling of knifes passing through their flesh slices into them all. Not only will Red be leaving them all, along with his foul mouthed partner, but now Serena and Charla are leaving… The three friends and their Pokémon are going to be split up and scattered across the earth.

"How am I goanna find you now?" Red silently thought, as fear set into him. If she's leaving too, how's he supposed to find and train her like he promised?

The eyes of Serena catch the sight of Lucario making his way into the room, using his Bone Rush club as a walking stick. A pained expression can clearly be seen across his wrinkled face. _"There is a way for you to find her Red, once you come into your full power, you will be able to send your Aura out into your surroundings to search for the Aura of another"_

The unexpected voice of the Fighting/Steel type, sent through Aura, causes both his Grandchildren to turn and face him. Red finally breaks his hug with his crush, to give his full respect and attention to him.

" _You will be able to track each other down with relative ease, I'd recommend practising the skill once you gain it, that way you'll be able to search in a wider area. It's a vital skill that all Knights are required to learn, one that has lead us to victory many times"_ A glimmer of hope can be seen in his sharp crimson eyes. _"It will allow you to find your way to us all again"_

The tears that lingered in the eyes of the honey haired child vanish, her young face lights up in a beautiful smile. "THAT'S GREAT!" She squealed in delight, causing all eyes to shift back to her. "You have to track me down as soon as you can Red, then we can be together again" She said without thought.

The moment these words fall from her lips, her face erupts into a deep beetroot blush. Her hands slap themselves across her lips, to stop any more embarrassing words to pass through.

Yet again, the sound of silence falls across the room. Lucario's words give the twins a harsh reminder of what Red must do now, he has done it with his family, now he must go through it one last time with his friend.

" _FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!_ _JUST FUCKING TELL HER SO WE CAN GO!"_ Charmander wailed, as he slammed his fists, feet and tail into the carpet. _"I WANNA GO ALREADY!"_

His tantrum draws in the attention of the girls, along with Torchic. They all stare at him with slightly freaked out expressions, except Charla, who sweatdrops. _"You're supposed to be older than me and you're acting like a new-born… There's something deeply wrong with you"_

Ignoring his childish behaviour, the steel covered arms of Lucario cross themselves, as he looks into the back of Red's head firmly. _"It's time Red; you can't put it off any longer"_

He silently nods his head, drawing in attention towards himself in doing so. "What's he talking about Red?" Serena asked, with a look of confusion across her soft face.

The solemn face of the boy drops down to the carpet beneath his feet, the dreaded moment has finally come, when the final obstacle in his way is faced and finally removed.

"Serena, there's something that I need to tell you…" He murmured. In response to the sudden change in the situation, Lily abandons the couch and takes her usual seat on the coffee table, allowing both her brother and her friend to take her place.

As the two of them do just that, the male Fire lizard picks himself up and dusts himself down. _"Comin' from a Harpy, I don't give a shit in the slightest"_ He growled to Charla, before turning his attention to Torchic. _"Five berries says Blondie cries like a bitch"_

" _You're on"_ He chirped back, with a devious grin across his face.

The solemn face of Red grows stronger, as he forces himself to face the final obstacle in his way. He repeats everything he told his family, from being forced to leave, to becoming Apprentice to the creator of all life. He ends by assuring her that he will be coming back, that he will keep his promise and train her.

The innocent eyes off Serena stare into the carpet at her feet; her ghostly pale face reflects her stunned soul. When she found out that she'll be moving, she thought the world was coming to an end, but she found a ray of hope when she found out Red will be able to find her again… But now that ray of hope has been shattered and ground into dust, because he's gotta go too.

"I'm sorry Serena" He said softly, so as not to hurt her further. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess I call my life"

Her eyes look like hand crafted Christmas babuls made from glass, sparkling as though they've caught the light of the rising sun. But in reality, they glisten with tears that threaten to moisten her cheeks once again. The pain she felt before hearing this was intense, but this has sent it into overdrive… He could die by doing this.

"How long will this take?" She asked with a dry and raspy tone.

With a sigh, he too turns his attention to the floor. "A year… Three years… Twenty years… I don't know. I'll be training under Mew herself, so I don't have the faintest idea Serena"

The heart of Serena is breaking; she can feel it being torn apart inside her fragile body. From the shredded remains of the organ of love, a question is born, one that wastes no time in being asked. "Am I ever goanna see you again?"

Her question cuts into his gut like a knife, sending his quiet mind into a frenzy of thought. "How can I go? How can I leave her? I can't do it, I can't hurt her like this" His tears return to his eyes, burning and stinging the orbs of sight with their presence.

"Don't think like that, there's more than just your life on the line here Red" He thought to himself firmly. "You're too dangerous to stay here; they'll all die if you stay… Then there's little Nibbler, she needs you to protect her. She'll be all alone; she'll die unless you do something… You need to think beyond yourself now"

A tear falls from his eyes, one that is wiped away before it can drip down his face. He turns back to face her and takes her hand in his own. This unexpected gesture forces her to turn and face him, with pink cheeks.

"Serena, listen to me now… I'm coming back for you. The three of us may be separated for a while, but we will be together again. There's nothing that could stop me from clawing my way back to my friends and family, even if I have to drag myself back from the bowls of Hell, I will be back for you all. Even death won't stop me. You hear me? I'm coming back, for everyone" His voice is strong, powerful and for once, wise beyond his years.

With fear across her face, she speaks without thought. "You can't forget about me, you just can't. Please Red, promise me you won't forget me" She pleaded.

The stern look across his face melts away, replaced by a gentle smile. "How could you ask me that? Serena I could never forget you, you're my first friend who didn't turn their back on me… Nothing in this world or the next could ever force you from my memories. You have a place in my heart, along with my family, I'll never forget about any of you. I promise"

"B-b-but what if I need you? To help me" She babbled with a panicked tone.

Without hesitation or thought of the consequences, he abandons her hand in favour of pulling her into an unexpected hug. She returns the hug tenfold, sending waves of joy and comfort through them both. Despite his newfound dislike of affectionate displays, Red still feels an unspoken joy from this gesture.

"Now you listen to me, I may be gone but I'll always be there for you… I swear on my blood, if you ever need me, I'll be there for you. Call when you have need of me, ask what you will of me, I'll always be there for you… Always" He whispered with a caring tone.

She holds him tighter, with a faint smile across her lips and a pink blush in her cheeks. "You promise?" A nod of his head answers her question, add in a tight squeeze from her crush and the pain begins to melt away. "OK then…"

With a smirk across his beak, Torchic turns to an obviously pissed off Charmander. _"You my friend owe me five berries. Pay up sucker"_

As the friends break their hug, a thought bursts into Red's mind. "I've done it… That's it, there's nothing left for me to do. Now I've gotta go"

"When are you leaving?" Serena asked with a voice filled with depression.

Her question remains unanswered for a moment, as he struggles to find an excuse to stay longer, anything will do, so long as it means he can stay a bit longer, he'll use it.

But there's nothing. No excuse, no obstacles left to overcome, no challenges to face… He has to go. "Today. There's nothing left to stop us now, nothing left to do. So we'll go today, the sooner we go, the sooner we can come back"

Silence falls across the room yet again, broken only by the sound of their combined breathing. The stunned faces of their friends and family tell both Red and Charmander that they weren't expecting them to leave this soon.

To try and break the silence, Lily tells Serena of their future plans, for when Red comes back to his home. Their plans for a journey together lifts their spirits a little, but the pain that they all feel remains as strong as ever. This pain will never get better, they say time heals all wounds, but they're wrong.

Time will not heal this wound; it will just give them what they need to learn to live with it.

* * *

The time has finally come. Red and Charmander are finally ready to leave, they've gathered everything they'll need for their trip and stored it in his backpack. He made sure that he had packed the picture away, safely stored away in a tiny section all of its own. It's all he'll have to remind him of home.

The entire family, with the addition of Serena and Charla, stand outside their home. The boys stand away from the rest of their family, facing the crying faces of those they must say goodbye to. The faces of Delia, Lily, Serena and Torchic are soaked to the bone with their tears, they thought the pain of hearing him say he was leaving was horrible, but it is nothing compared to what they're experiencing now.

Like the rest of his family, Lucario's heart is breaking as well. The pain he feels rivals what he felt when his Master died, when he was forced to watch him die in battle, like a true Knight. Even now he's having trouble telling the difference between Red and his Master Draco, despite the obvious age difference. Like his friend Lucario, the Psychic/Fairy Mimey is in pain, he remains unable to accept that they're truly leaving. It's been so long since their home hasn't had two screaming, hyperactive kids running around, making messes that he needs to clean, that he's forgotten how it feels… Without her partner in crime, Lily won't be as boisterous and a hand full… Their home will feel so lonely without him.

Red's eyes sting with tears, he fights them as hard as he can, trying desperately to stop them from dripping down his cheeks. This already a horrible moment for them all, he won't make it worse by crying. "I won't crack. I won't cry… I WON'T!" He mentally screamed.

Charmander looks over each of the souls standing before them both, he thought he was ready to leave, that it wouldn't hurt to say goodbye, but now the time has come… He doesn't want to go. They've all treated him like family, well except Charla but she's a bitch anyway. _"They're the family I never got to have…"_ He thought sadly.

Together they steel their courage, all this will take is a few minutes of insane bravery, and then it is done forever. "I won't surrender, not now, not ever" Red thought. "I'm not doing this because I want to, but because I need to. I have to go; I've got to be free"

Together they swallow their fear, mirroring each other's forms without a conscious thought to do so. "Well, this is it… We've gotta go now. We don't know when we'll be back, but we will return. When you can see us and be proud, we'll be back" Red said, his voice sounding strong, but trembling on the inside.

The mother takes one final look at her son, but she cannot accept that this is actually the boy she gave birth to. He's changed so much in such a short amount of time; she can barely recognise him now. A few months ago he wouldn't have even thought about hurting someone, other than play fights with his sister, violence is something she'd never associate with him… But now that he's met Serena, he's changed so much.

"You've grown up so much Red, but you're still a child, a baby… And yet, a child wouldn't make a decision like this… You're a man now. But why can't you stay here? Why can't you stay my baby boy forever?" These words form in her mind, but fail to pass through her lips.

Before yesterday, young Lily never once considered the possibility that she would be separated from her brother. Not once, it was just a concept that never entered her head. To her the concept of being apart from him is the same as trying to comprehend how the sky could turn green in place of blue.

Never before had she given any thought into the future, far enough to think about when they both become adults anyway. Never thought about the day that they would split up, to go their separate ways and live their lives. She always assumed that they'd be together forever… This experience has stolen a piece of her childhood innocence, as well as given her a harsh lesson about reality.

The horrific pain in her chest makes her feel as though she's dying. Never before in her short life has she had to experience the pain of loss. A childish question falls from her lips. "Can we come with you?" She asked timidly.

"I'm sorry Lily" Her auburn haired brother responded, with a genuine look of sorrow on his face. "No one can go with us, we have to go alone. To find her you have to be invited; she's only invited me and my Pokémon… I'm sorry"

The tears of his sister are renewed by a fresh wave of sorrow, to try and comfort herself she scoops up her starter and hugs him as tightly as she can, without endangering his ability to breathe anyway. Together they cry into each other, each supporting the other and trying to ease their pain.

The tears of the honey haired girl drip down her face silently, Charla sits in her arms, trying her hardest to cheer her up. She knows there's nothing she can ever do to ease her pain, but she has to at least try.

Serena takes a step forward, while taking a breath to try and gain some much needed courage. "Promise me Red, promise me you'll come back, that you'll train me and that you won't ever forget us" Her moment of strength doesn't allow her to broadcast her request, only whisper it.

"I promise Serena" He replied without hesitation. "I promise… You're very strong inside Serena, I know goodbye hurts right now, but you'll be OK. But remember, if a time comes where you need me, not just want to see me, but _truly_ _need_ me… I'll come for you. I don't know or care how, I _will_ find you and protect you"

His words touch her heart, sending it into an overdrive of thumping in her chest. She finally smiles at him, knowing that he means that promise, the promise that he'll protect her when she needs him to. While they may be apart for a while, she knows he'll find her again… What time takes away, it also returns.

Next it is Lucario's turn to have his say, before his family is split apart even further. _"We will all be waiting for you both to return, I may be old, but I still have enough life left in me to carry on for a few more years… I'm not quite done yet. Both of you remember, never surrender… No matter what, you keep fighting to see the sun again"_ His crimson eyes reflect pain, but beyond this surface emotion, pride resides. _"You will both be shaped by the wild, by the true nature of this world, but I know you will both be the same boys we see today"_

With a scowl across his face, Charmander shakes his head in an annoyed fashion. _"Wrong Old Man, I'm goanna be a badass dragon… But the Boss'll probably stay a weakling, who depends on me for everything, forever"_

Ignoring his jab, Red too shakes his head. "No Grampa, we won't be… We'll be men who you'll be proud off" Like a raging inferno, determination burns in his eyes.

A single tear falls from his eye, one he allows to crawl down his blue and black fur. _"You already are… Be safe out there my son, you are both Knights to be proud of, but I know you'll become even more"_ He takes a breath himself, to give him time to gather the strength he needs to say four final words.

Predicting what he wants to say, Red beats him to the punch. "Live free, die well"

A smile forms across his wrinkled, fur covered face. _"You have always lived free Red, and in the end, I know you will die well… Just like your Grandfather before you"_

"So will you Grampa, so will you" Red said back, with a trembling voice. Those who aren't versed in the Knights code turn to those who do know it. "To live free, is to live a life without fear. To die well, is to die fighting. The code demands we die with dignity and honour, doing what we do all our lives"

"Fighting" Lily concluded. "We don't waste away in a bed, waiting for Yveltal to claim us. When our time comes, we die fighting… We live our lives to the fullest, because we live without fear and when we leave this world, we do it with pride and honour. There's no better way to go"

" _Go now Red, take one last look at our home and then take your first steps to your new home… But always know that there will always be a place here for you, no matter what you do or what you become. You will always be a Ketchum. Always remember that"_ Lucario finished, with a cracking voice. _"That includes you Charmander, you're as much a Ketchum as the rest of us now"_

Both of the brothers nod their heads and take one last look at the family that loves them. For the first time, neither of them is even the slightest bit sad that they have to go, because they know they'll be back. Even though they will be worlds apart, so long as they remain in their hearts, they'll never be far from their home.

"Red… We can't go with you, but can we at least walk with you to the edge of Pallet?… Please?" Lily pleaded, with both Torchic and Serena adding their pleading eyes to the mix.

Unsure on how to respond, Red turns to his brother, seeking an answer to her plea. The answer is the same as it was when he asked for support regarding Mew's offer, Charmander nods his head. _"Do it Boss, spend as much time with them as you can… 'Cause as soon as we're out of here, we're goanna train our asses off and there won't be time for sentimental shit"_

His growls spark a faint smile across Red's face; he turns to his sister and the others and nods his head once. "Sure, why not?"

The tears vanish from the faces of both the crying girls and Torchic, Charla's sad for her friend, but not enough to be reduced to tears herself. Both the girls smile as they join the boys, standing either side of them with their own partner Pokémon in their arms.

Before they can take their first steps, there is one last thing Red must do. His eyes fix themselves onto his Mom's emerald green orbs, her tears have forced them to inflames and swell. Even with this change though, they're still the eyes of his Mom, the woman who raised both him and his sister almost single handedly… If it wasn't for Lucario, she would have.

"Mom, I can never say thank you enough for what you've done for us… I know you worry because Dad's not here, but I say he can go fuck himself!" His words spark shock in the face of Delia, but reassure her beyond measure. "Thank you Mom… Thank you so much"

Fresh tears run down her cheeks, even as she pulls the biggest smile any of the children have ever seen. "Oh come here!" She cried as she sprinted towards her babies and pulled them both into a hug so tight, that neither of them can breathe. Before long their faces begin to turn a distinctive shade of blue.

" _Hehehehe, look they think they're Kecleon, since when can you change colour on demand?"_ Charmander snickered, even as the twins struggle for life giving oxygen.

Sensing their distress, Delia hesitantly loosens her grip, but doesn't relinquish it in the slightest. Finally able to breathe again, the twins suck down as much air as their still developing lungs will let them. "I love you both so much" She cried. "You have to find us Red, no matter where we go you must find us"

"I will Mom… I promise I'll come back" He weakly responded, as he still tries to breathe as much as he can. "But now I've gotta go… Otherwise I won't be able to"

Knowing she's run out of time now, she gives her children each the biggest kiss she possibly can. "I love you both more than anything, never forget that… Goodbye Red"

She drags it out as long as she can, but in the end it makes little difference. She has to let her only son go. Mimey quickly takes her hand and guides her back to safety. _"It's OK Delia, we'll always have our memories"_ The Psychic mime turns to face Charmander, with an angry scowl across his face. _"You! Make sure he stays safe, he's got a tendency to get into trouble a lot, so make sure he survives long enough to get back here"_

Surprisingly, Charmander offers no rude comment or witty comeback. He simply nods his head and smiles. _"Sure, he'll kill me if I don't"_ He said, while gesturing towards his trainer. _"Boss… It's time; we can't put it off any longer"_

Together they take one last look at the only home they've ever known, at the family that loves them and the plants that have overgrown the fence. The wind blows through the deep green leafs, making them shake and rustle, as though they too are trying to say goodbye to them.

"Goodbye" With that single word, that single pain filled word; Red turns his back on his home and takes his first step towards his destination. Both their girls and Charmander are right by his side, taking every step they can with him.

Both Red and Charmander know it will be a long time until they see this place again, so they absorb as many of the sights, smells and sounds as they can. Memorising everything they can about their home.

But it's not their home anymore, no; their home is now where Mew resides and the baby Pokémon that will soon be born. Thoughts of protecting her from a horrible fate are what drive them now, Nibbler needs them both and they will need her… Pain can often be eased by a distraction and there's no better distraction than saving the life of an innocent.

 **(A/N I don't own this song or any others. You can't take me, by Brian Adams)**

 **You can't take me… YEAH!**

Together the trio of friends and their Pokémon make their way through the bustling streets of their home. For two of them this will be the last time they see it, maybe forever. For Serena, this is all but a certainty, as soon she'll be moving to the far off region called Kalos.

Red won't be back on these streets for many years, maybe he'll never come back here. If his family has moved away by the time he's ready to come back, then he might never set foot in this place again. No one knows exactly what the future holds.

No one can see past a choice they don't understand.

 **Gotta fight another fight**

 **Gotta run another night**

 **I'm gettin' out, check it out**

 **I'm on my way and I don't feel right**

Together they all turn their attention to the sky, the clouds above split and bathe them all in the warming touch of the sun's light. All of them draw smiles, the beauty of the sky has been revealed, allowing them to go their separate ways with joy in their hearts.

 **I gotta get me back**

 **We can't be beat and that's a fact**

 **It's OK we'll find a way**

 **It ain't goanna take me down now way**

With determination burning their hearts, Red and Charmander pick up their pace. No matter what happens to them on this journey, they won't be beaten. Nothing will stop them, because they cannot be beaten. _"I feel fucking sorry for anyone dumb enough to get in our way"_ Charmander growled with a confident smirk across his face.

 **Don't judge a thing till you know what's inside it**

 **Don't push me I'll fight it**

 **Never goanna give it, never goanna give it up no**

Serena's thoughts turn to when she first met the twins; she was lost, afraid and hurt in the forest. Then her Knight in filthy armour came to her rescue, he took an enormous risk by helping her, but he did it anyway and saved her… She'll always have the scar on her leg to remind her of that day, the day that changed her life forever.

 **If you can't catch a wave, then you're never goanna ride it**

 **You can't come uninvited**

 **Never goanna give it, never goanna give it up no**

When she met Lily, she saw the other side to her Knight, the playful side that shines through when he's with his sister. It wasn't long before she became close friends with them both, they were her first friends and they'll always be her close friends. No matter how long they're apart for.

 **You can't take me, I'm free**

As the group reaches the halfway point of their journey to the edge of Pallet, Red is forced to slow down, eventually coming to complete stop. Pain wracks across his head, as though his brain is being crushed inside his skull. His face screws up in agony, as he grunts in pain.

 **Why did it all go wrong?**

 **I wanna know what's goin' on**

 **What's this holding me?**

 **I'm not where I'm supposed to be**

Those who have joined him and Charmander, until they reach the edge of their home, stop dead in their tracks. "What's wrong Red?" Lily asked her brother, with concern in her voice.

Both Charmander and Serena ask similar questions, he is unable to answer them all though. The pain is too intense for him to speak. _**"No matter how far you run, you can never escape me"**_ The Beast whispered in his head.

A black hue radiates from his entire being, one that seems to be flowing down his body and into the earth beneath his exposed feet. Those who survived their encounter with the Beast can all see the hue as clear as day, but the rest of the town carries on as though nothing is wrong.

 **I gotta fight another fight**

 **I gotta fight with all my might**

The dark hue surrounding him crawls onto the earth, before pulling away from his frame. The instant the Darkness abandons his body; the pain that held him prisoner vanishes, allowing him to watch what happens next.

All six of them watch the Darkness rise from the earth, forming what can only be described as a humanoid shadow. It resembles the figure of an adult man, towering over them all without features, with the exception of a pair of glowing dark crimson eyes, staring down at Red. Despite the lack of identifying marks or features, all of them recognise it as the creature Red fears above all others. The Beast.

 **I'm gettin' out, so check it out**

The fear that runs down the spines of both Red and Charmander remains as strong as ever, but the courage burning in their hearts gives them the strength they need to face this thing. "I'm not afraid of you anymore"

 **You're in my way, yeah you better watch out!**

 **Oooooooooh come on!**

With fire burning in their eyes, the boys walk straight through the snarling creature of Darkness standing before them. Upon their touch, it evaporates into nothing but a harmless puff of black smoke.

While none of them understand what has just happened, they don't care. Their final moments together won't be tainted by that thing. Within seconds they're all together again, taking in the sights of their home and steadily making their way to the edge of town.

 **Don't judge a thing till ya know what's inside it**

 **Don't push me, I'll fight it**

 **Never goanna give it, never goanna give it up no!**

The bustling streets of their home begin to run short, they've almost reached their shared destination. While they all show the outward signs of joy and determination, inside each and every one of them, a voice screams for them to stay together, forever.

Despite their age, they each have learned a harsh lesson today. You don't always get what you want; sometimes you must give up on the things you want most of all, to do what must be done.

 **If you can't catch a wave, then you're never goanna ride it**

 **You can't come uninvited**

 **Never goanna give it, never goanna give it up no!**

Finally they reach the edge of town; they reach the point where they must part ways… This is it. No turning back now. They all turn to each other, taking in as much of each other's sights, smells and sounds as they can, before they have to say the worst word in the world.

The eyes of Red, Serena and Lily all grow heavy with tears, but none of them let them fall, not yet.

 **You can't take me, I'M FREE!**

 **Ahh yeah I'm free!**

This next word will take everything he has, but it must be done. He can't go without saying it; he'll regret it every dam day of his life if he doesn't. Summoning every ounce of strength and courage in his soul, he forms the dreaded word in his mind and forces onto his tongue.

"Goodbye" He breathed out, barely audible. That one word took more out of him, than facing down the Beast just now did. But it is done, finally it is done, the hardest thing he's ever had to do is over… Now they can leave, there's literally nothing left to do.

Despite how quiet the word was spoken, they all heard it as clear as day. The weight of their tears grows heavier, almost too heavy for them to hold in anymore. They don't need to hold them in forever, just for a few more minutes, which they can do.

Lily leaps forwards and wraps an arm around her brother, careful not to drop or squish Torchic in the process. "Goodbye Red, make sure you get strong enough to give me a challenge when you come back" She practically cried into his shoulder.

He gives her a light squeeze with his own arm, as he doesn't want to hug her properly again. "I will" He simply said. The Aura of Charmander that mixed with his own surfaces again, forcing him to end the one armed hug with his sister early.

As one embrace ends, a second is born. Serena mimics Lily's final embrace, giving her crush a one armed hug as she buries her face into his other shoulder. "Goodbye Red, please don't forget about me… We'll never forget you"

While this public display of affection disturbs him, he doesn't have the heart to push her off. He's hurt them all so much already, he can't rub salt in the wound by denying them their final request to him. His own arm wraps around her and gives her a gentle squeeze goodbye. "I promise I'll never forget any of you… You'll all be in my heart"

With a look of disgust across his scally face, Charmander suppresses the urge to vomit. _"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! ARE WE GOING OR NOT?!"_

His sharp growls force the friends to separate from their final embrace; both of their faces are covered with a deep blush, which they each try to hide from the other. Red throws him a death glare, before nodding his head. "Yes. We're going, happy?" He growled, through gritted teeth.

The disgust falls from his orange scales, replaced by a smirk. _"Very. Now come on, before you lose your balls and stay"_

That was the final push Red needs, finally he turns away from his family, from his home and from the crush he cannot love. Together the brothers take their first steps out of Pallet, making their way towards the Viridian Forest. Before they can begin their trek to their new home, they must first pay a visit to their old Masters.

They both keep moving, they don't dare stop, don't dare take one last look. If they stop, even for a moment, they won't ever be able to leave. For the good of those they care about, for the good of themselves, they cannot do anything but keep putting their feet in front of the other. They walk through the pain they share, without uttering a single word.

There are no words to be said between them, none that will ease their pain. Charmander barely knows anyone in the family, besides Red, but he feels his pain through their Connection.

Those who they have been forced to leave behind, watch as the distance between them grows bigger and bigger, eventually reaching the point where they can no longer be seen by the naked eye.

They all know the sad truth; they won't be all together for many years. But it's OK, they will be together again, they will come back and unite them all again. Red and Charmander will bring them all once again, they will be the lights in the darkness that unites them, they will be their guides through the ocean of loneliness.

One day, when the time is right, Red and Charmander will return. They just need to wait, just need to be patient and hold out hope… Serena will see her Knight in filthy armour again and when she does, she will give him her heart.

"Goodbye Red… I love you" She whispered, as her tears finally fell from her eyes.

* * *

The brothers have been walking in silence for what feels like an eternity, but has actually been less than an hour. They've made their way to the forest of Viridian, the fallen logs, burned vegetation and upturned earth of the clearing remind them of the horror they faced just days ago.

The earth remains tainted by the black blood of the Beast, the trees that were involved in the battle bear the scars of that day. The crimson blood of both Luke and Gallade remain visible across their surface, and the moss that was growing up their bark has been partially forced off, leaving vast patches of the bark visible through the green.

They stand in the widened clearing, waiting for the faces of both Luke and Gallade to appear. The two of them are always aware of what happens in this place, so there can be no doubt as to whether or not they are aware of their presence. They simply need to wait; they will come to them in time.

After a few minutes of silent waiting, their old Masters finally reveal themselves. In a flash of dazzling white light, they teleport into the clearing with them. Luke's cloak once again covers his body, hiding it from the world; however his heavy hood remains down, allowing his face and ponytail to be clearly seen.

Standing by his side, with the darkest of scowls across his face, stands Gallade. His deep green arms are firmly locked together, forming a cross against his bare chest. His armour has been removed, most likely to be repaired, leaving him exposed. It makes little difference to his ability to battle, but without it he doesn't bare the mark of the order.

The blinding injury that Lucario dealt him just days ago has been completely healed, his strong crimson eyes reflect his hatred of the boy standing before him, just as well as they did before he was blinded. There isn't even the faintest of scars across their sterling surface.

The instant the Knights are revealed to the boys, Charmander raised his claws and takes a battle pose. Ready for a fight, against the would-be murderer. _"So much as breathe too close to the Boss, and I'll fucking rip your eyes out"_ He snarled angrily.

The hatred filled scowl of Gallade is mirrored in the face of his former pupil, Red's eyes remain fixed on those of the one who made him scared to make a mistake. What was once respect and fear, has evolved into pure hatred. He can barely stomach the sight of him; the feeling is mutual between them both.

"So you have come" Luke said calmly, his face reflects his tone. "What brings you here, without your sister?"

The boy, who was named for a colour, finally breaks his death gaze on Gallade, to give his former Master a kind smile. "You know why we're here, don't act like you don't"

The muscles of Gallade tense slightly, his anger towards the child grows stronger with each passing second. _"Watch your mouth"_ He spat. _"We are your Masters; you will speak to us with respect"_

The scale covered lizard snarls angrily; he readies a Flamethrower in the pit of his stomach, allowing him to launch it at a moment's notice. _"You ain't our Masters anymore, we ain't yo bitches. So… Go fuck yourself, before I skull fuck you myself"_

The disciplined Knight ignores his growls, in favour of glaring at Red.

The calm look across Luke's face dissolves away, leaving a simple frown in its place. His left knee bends, forcing him to kneel to his former Apprentice, and friend, Red. "Yes, I know. There's no way you'd be apart from Lily, unless you were going somewhere where she cannot follow… You're leaving, aren't you?" His normal strong voice, breaks down into a soft and gentle, almost fatherly tone.

Red shuts his eyes and nods his head once, answering his father-figure's question. "Yeah… I'm sorry Master, but we have to go" Despite the fact that he is no longer in service to Luke, he will always call him Master, as a sign of his eternal respect.

Luke's hands gently place themselves onto the child's shoulders; despite their small size they easily cover the straps of his backpack. "Can you at least tell me why?"

Charmander maintains his attack, ready to strike against Gallade, to both defend his brother and act on his burning hatred for this traitor. Red and Lily both trusted him, despite his strictness; he shattered that trust and betrayed them both, when he made an attempt on his life. _"I swear, when I see you again, I'll make you regret the day you were born"_

Ignoring both Charmander's burning desire to strike Gallade, as well as his threats to him, Red nods his head once. "Mew asked me to come to her and become her Apprentice. I'm no longer your Apprentice Master"

The dark chocolaty brown eyes of Luke shrink in his head, his entire body trembles uncontrollably. He couldn't possibly have heard him right, there's no way he just said he's being trained by the Mother of creation.

" _LIAR!"_ Gallade screeched angrily, his pose breaks and his elbow talons extend reflexively. _"YOU ARE A LIAR! Mew would never train a worthless runt like you!"_

Without moving his body an inch, Red's eyes dart towards the Pokémon he now hates with a burning passion. "Fuck you. I don't give a flying fuck if you believe me or not, I don't bow to you any-fucking-more" He returns his sight towards Luke. "I'm telling the truth Master, we're on our way to Mew's home now, we just wanted to say goodbye first"

" _Now_ _you can call him a liar"_ Charmander growled angrily. _"_ _I_ _wanted to say 'fuck you Gallade' and just go wherever the fuck we're goin', but the Boss said he owed you a goodbye, for everything you've done for him and Lily over the years"_

Gallade shifts his glare down towards Charmander; his talons remain extended and ready to strike if he feels the need. _"You're as stupid as he is, Master cannot understand you. And I won't bother him by repeating it, now get out of here before I turn on_ _you_ _, as well as him"_ He gestures towards Red as he makes his threat.

" _Bring it bitch"_ Charmander snarled back.

While the two of them exchange verbal blows, Red tells Luke the full story of what Mew told him, minus the part that spoke of the war. That information must remain secret, if the Paladins find out that their plans have been predicted, then the war may begin sooner than expected. As Mew said, they'll need as much time as they can get, to be able to have a chance to stop it.

Before they left, Red swore his family to secrecy regarding the coming war for the same purpose. He couldn't lie to them, but at the same time he had to ensure the information wouldn't be passed on further than it needs to be.

The Knight who bares the symbol of the order on his wrists, stares into the eyes of the boy he has trained for years. Words can never describe the level of pride that is swelling inside of him; _his_ Apprentice has been chosen by Mew to become her Apprentice. Such a thing hasn't happened for centuries, not since the dark times that came before. Beyond his pride, he is saddened beyond measure by this loss.

He truly doesn't know how to feel, but he knows how Gallade feels. His hatred for the child he has helped train burns brighter than ever before, in his mind, Lily is the one who should have been chosen for this. Not Red.

Luke's eyes shut themselves, forcing the tremors from his body. "I see…" His eyes open again, bringing with them a broad, pride filled smile. "Well then, you best not keep her waiting… Go to her, train hard and make us proud. When your training is complete, will you please visit us? I want to see you, standing tall and proud, as a man I can call brother"

"Of course Master. After everything you've done for us, that's the least I can do" Red said with an excitable tone and a smile on his lips.

"You don't have to call me Master anymore Red, you can call me Luke" He said with a pained tone.

With a shake of his head, Red refuses his request. "You may not be my Master anymore, but it's because of you I'm as strong as I am. So I'll always call you Master, out of respect for you"

For a moment Luke contemplates giving his friend a hug, to say goodbye and thankyou, but guilt stops him from doing so. A horrific guilt that stabs into his soul, gnawing away at it, leaving him nothing but an empty husk. This guilt can never be alleviated, after what he and Gallade have done; nothing can ever remove the burden from them.

However, he knows that he needs to do something special to say goodbye and he can think of nothing better, than what is about to do. "OK then. Red… There's something I need to tell you, before you leave us"

He simply nods his head in respect, while Charmander turns his attention to him fully, suddenly more interested in what he has to say than arguing with Gallade.

The hands of Luke tighten their grip slightly, just enough to be noticeable. "I love both you and your sister, like you're my own blood… To me, you _are_ my son and she my daughter, I'm proud of you both… Take care of yourself and Charmander out there, do what must be done and-" Red interrupts him, before he is able to finish.

"Live free Master" He offers his hand to him, waiting for him to do the same.

For a brief moment, the tiniest of tears forms in the cold eyes of Luke, but it vanishes before it can fall. He lifts his hands away, so he can take Red's in his own and squeeze it tightly. "Die well Red… Make me proud out there"

"I will Master, I will… You're the Dad that never abandoned me; you've always been there for us…" Tears glisten in his eyes; they remain in their electric blue home though. "Thank you… For everything… Goodbye Master"

Before the two of them are able to separate, an unexpected voice forces their eyes to widen in disbelief. _"Goodbye Red, while it is no secret that I cannot stand the sight of you, there is something I need to say"_ Gallade's voice is kind and filled with sincerity. _"You are a true Warrior and worthy of my respect… You were a worthy foe my Apprentice. I expect a decent fight when you return, don't disappoint me"_

The stunned faces of all three of the other souls here turn to face the blade Pokémon, unable to accept that he just gave Red a compliment, something he has never done before. _"Did you just say something nice to him? Are you fucking high or some shit? You've never been nice to him in your life!"_ Charmander growled suspiciously.

Gallade's death glare returns and focuses itself directly onto the Fire starter. His talons finally retract into his body; he has no need for them now. _"Yes. I said something nice to him. Don't get used to it, as it will never happen again. Go now, before I hurt you"_

With that single threat, Red loses his stunned state and returns to normal. "Come on Charmander, we're done here" Together they make their way through the heart of the forest, venturing deeper than either of the twins has ever gone before. It isn't long before both the adults lose sight of them.

They both know they won't see either of those children again, not for many years. A thought that saddens Luke immensely, but brings a smirk to Gallade's white face. _"Master, now he is gone for good. Will you tell me what you saw in your vision?"_

The resentment in his voice fills his brother with a similar emotion, one that forces a glare of his own across his face. "He's barely gone and you're already acting as though we'll never see him again… (Sigh) Fine. I saw him die, happy now?" He spat.

Despite the lack of facial hair, Gallade makes the facial expression that comes with raising an eyebrow. _"Slightly, how old was he and how did he meet his end?"_

His glare grows darker, forming a dark scowl across his face. "He was the same age as he is now. A child. Before you ask, no, he didn't die with dignity and honour. He died a slow and humiliating death, I couldn't see anything, but I heard his screams for mercy… He was tortured to death"

The eyebrow less face of Gallade rises, his mouth hangs open just enough to form an 'o' shape.

"I heard him scream, beg and plead for mercy… I saw his lifeless body be hurled into a lake, to feed the Water Pokémon. Are you happy now? If my vision is correct, then we'll never see him again… And we just _let_ him walk to his own death"

The stunned expression falls from Gallade's face, replaced by an evil smirk. _"I see. Well then it doesn't matter that Mew chose him over Lily, soon he'll be dead and forgotten"_

The fists of Luke tighten, to the point where a vein throbs upon their surface. His anger causes him to snort out each breath, like a Tauros that has had a red flag waved before its eyes. "Why do you hate him so much?!" He spat. "What could he have _possibly_ done?! Why would you be happy to hear him suffer?!"

The furry flowing through their Connection forces the smirk from Gallade's face then causes him to bow his head and sigh. _"You want to know? You really want to know?"_ His voice is filled with sadness, a deep resounding depression that stirs pity in the heart of his brother. _"He's too much like his father"_

He lifts his head and locks eyes with Luke. _"I hate him, because when I see him I see nothing but his father, the way he was before-"_ He is cut off before he is able to finish.

Luke thrusts his trembling hand, which holds an Orb, into his face, effectively silencing him. "Don't. Don't you fucking dare say that" His eyes burn with blinding furry. "Never say that again. Ever. He doesn't deserve hatred for that, he doesn't know the truth. So don't. Just don't"

The Psychic/Fighting blade Pokémon shuts his eyes and bows his head respectfully to his Master. _"As you wish Master, but I would like to remind you, that_ _you_ _are the one who asked for the reason behind my hatred"_

Luke forms a response in his mind, but fails to push the words past his lips. The sound of paws colliding with the earth behind them grabs their attention and forces them to turn. They are greeted by the fury filled face of their former Master. "Lucario" Luke whispered.

The crimson eyes of Lucario fix themselves onto those of Gallade, who stares back at him without a hint of fear. _"I see you have your eyes back"_ Gallade simply nods his head. _"Next time I'll burn them out with Aura, so your sight can never be returned"_

He shifts his focus onto them both, rather than just his Pokémon counterpart. _"Neither of you deserve to worry about them, either of them. You both lost the privilege of being part of the family long ago, when you both destroyed it"_

The anger filled glare of Luke refocuses itself onto his former Master. "Don't lecture us Old Man. You have no idea what happened, what we lost. You think you know, but you're clueless. You have no right to lecture us on matters you don't understand" Gallade nods his head in agreement.

"Like it or not, we are both a part of the twins lives and they are a big part of ours. _You_ don't have the right to say otherwise" Luke concluded.

" _You believe they'll forgive you?"_ Lucario asked coldly. _"You think just because you trained them for a couple of years, that you can make up for eight years of pain? You tore the family apart, betrayed us all, the pain we've all suffered is because of you two"_

Neither of them makes even the slightest attempt to respond, they know whatever they say will simply be turned back against them, so what point is there in trying?

The aging Fighting/Steel Pokémon focuses his attention onto Gallade. _"You. You make me sick to my stomach; do you honestly believe that you'll get away with everything you've done to Red over the years?"_ A confused look from Gallade is his response. _"Lily told me, you've been beating him for making even the most basic of mistakes. I was hard on you both, but I never attacked either of you for taking too long to bring out your powers"_

" _He is a child. Children make mistakes; children take time to learn discipline. I am amazed that he stood by you both, it only proves what a kind and forgiving boy he is… If I had known before today, I would have killed you without hesitation"_ Lucario spat, while slamming his paw into Gallade's chest spike. _"But now you two are all Lily has left to guide her, I am too old and frail to train her the way she deserves. Be grateful Red is a better person than either of you two will ever be"_ With that he drops his paw, but keeps his death glare going strong.

For a moment Gallade ignores him completely, he silently crosses his arms, shuts his eyes and lowers his head. He knows that he must answer; if he doesn't then the consequences will be more than he cares to endure. _"It doesn't matter now. Soon your precious Red will be dead, lying at the bottom of a lake"_

" _Yes. Yes he will… But he will be back"_ Lucario said, colder than before. Both of the younger Knights snap their eyes onto him, analysing his face for traces of deceit. They find none. _"The Red we all know and_ _I_ _love, will soon be dead"_

"You had a vision? What did you see?" Luke asked with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Answering without thought, Lucario lowers his head. _"I saw what you saw, nothing. But I heard him die; I heard exactly what you heard and more… I saw Red return to this world, both alive and dead. His body was still alive and his soul was still linked to it, he looked no different, but he was dead"_

The combined interest of both Luke and Gallade rises, how can something be both alive and dead?

Lucario lifts his head; a hint of regret can be seen across his face. These two are the last people in the world he wants to talk to, but he has no one else he can release this burden upon. _"Do either of you know why Xerneas doesn't resurrect humans?"_

They silently shake their heads, legends say the legendary Pokémon Xerneas has the power to revive those who die unnaturally, as well as reincarnate those who die before their time, but there are no stories of her resurrecting a human before.

" _Well neither do I, but I know someone who soon will… Red will die and then he is going to be reborn from the depths of that lake as a Monster. Xerneas is the only one who has the power to do so, so it must be here who will do it. Red will become something that can never be caged, something that'll inspire terror in even the strongest of hearts"_ Lucario's voice grows stronger and more ominous as he goes on, building up to the climax of his speech. _"He will become what he seeks to destroy. The Invincible Monster of the Forest, the legend that all Paladins will grow to fear"_

Concern sprouts across Luke's face, he must know more. "What will happen to him? After he experiences this… Oddity, what'll become of him?"

A heavy pain filled sigh falls from the wrinkled lips of Lucario, carrying with it his fear of the future. _"His legend as an unstoppable killer will grow, word will spread that he is the Apprentice of Mew. He will become the legend of the Knights. One that slaughters everything that dares spark his infinite rage"_

His eyes sharpen and focus onto Gallade's. _"He will save his deepest rage, for traitors and those who harm his family… You two are both, and will feel the burn of his Fire"_

Having said all he has to say, Lucario turns his back on them both and slowly makes his way home. He chose to follow Red for as long as he could, watching over him for just a little longer, doing everything he can to ease his conscience. _"Without you Red, home will never be the same… It'll be quieter. So quiet… Your partner in crime isn't as loud without her other half"_ He thought silently.

He isn't able to take more than two steps, before Luke grabs his left gauntlet. The feeling of his flesh against his armour forces him to freeze in place, disgust swells inside of him, but deeper, buried away, he feels comfort from the familiar feeling. "Dad… I-"

The moment that word is forced through Luke's lips, all sense of comfort vanishes from the depths of Lucario's soul, replaced by deep, burning rage and hatred. Before Luke is able to finish his breath, the Pokémon he called Dad rips his arm free of his grasp, turns on the spot and slams his Power-Up-Punch straight into his gut.

The powerful blow forces all air from Luke's lungs, pain swallows his entire being, forcing him to his knees again. He clutches his abdomen, his eyes look as though they're trying to find a way out of his head and his jaw hangs open, allowing his drool to fall from his lips.

The speed of his attack leaves Gallade stunned, despite his advanced age and grieving heart, he's still fully alert and ready to strike at a moment's notice. Gallade didn't even have the chance to defend his Master, before he struck.

" _DON'T YOU_ _ **DARE**_ _CALL ME THAT!"_ Lucario screeched into Luke's face. _"NEITHER OF YOU ARE MY SONS ANYMORE!"_

Luke's pain is too great for him to be able to speak, a trickle of blood falls from his lips to the earth. Gallade's stern face fills with pain, not from any injury, but from Lucario's harsh words. _"Like it or not Father, you and I are bound by blood… No matter what, you will always be my Father"_ Lucario's cold glare shifts towards his son, sharpening beyond measure. _"Blood has never meant anything to our family; your Grandchildren are testament to that. For years you and Mother called us BOTH your sons, you will always be our Father"_

Luke fights through his pain, to speak again. "Your Master was my Dad, but you and Gardevoir raised us as much as he and Mom ever did… You are my Dad, like it or not" He rasped, before succumbing to his pain again.

Lucario turns his sharp stare towards Luke, his paw spikes split to form a pair of Metal Claw attacks. He thrusts his blades towards the faces of his former Apprentices, whom he once thought of as family. His weapons stop an inch before their eyes, but neither of them moves so much as an inch. _"Never. Say her name again"_ He said coldly.

" _Gardevoir was an angel, demons like you two aren't worthy of saying her name. You both lost the right to call me anything, the day you betrayed us. You both tore a chunk out of the family, leaving a hole that can never be filled…"_ His eyes shift towards his blood son. _"I thank Mew every night before I sleep, for taking your Mother away before she had the chance to see what you became… She idolised you, it would have killed her to see you now"_

At the mention of his departed mother, Gallade's eyes droop and lose their shine. _"I do what must be done, the same as you"_ His said weakly. _"Put those claws away, you couldn't kill either of us. If you could, you would've done it when I tried to end the Beast… Even you can't kill your own sons"_

Luke manages to force a nod of agreement. "You'd hurt us without hesitation, but you wouldn't kill us or let us die. That's why you healed us after the Beast almost killed us, dress it up however you want, use whatever excuse you choose… We all know the truth"

The claws made from steel begin to tremble; their words shake the elder's core. As much as he hates to admit it, they're right, as much as he hates them for what they have done… There's no way he could kill his own sons. _"As much as it sickens me to think of, Lily needs you both now… But, if either of you ever reveal to her, that you are anything to do with me, or the family, I will beat you both within an inch of your lives and leave your for dead"_ He said coldly as he focused his eyes directly onto Luke. _"And if you ever decide to drop the act of 'Luke' and tell her your real name, you will be signing your own death warrant"_

His Metal Claw dissolves away, allowing his arms to drop back to his sides. _"Follow me and I will act on my threat sooner. My family needs time to grieve for our loss"_

For the second time today, Lucario turns his back on them both and silently makes his way back to his home. His thoughts are dominated by his lost love, causing a tear to fall from his eyes. _"Gardevoir… I did my best by him, I swear it"_

He pushes these painful thoughts from his mind, she is gone but she will never be forgotten. Instead thoughts of guilt penetrate his mind; he has knowingly sent his only Grandson to death and doomed his Granddaughter to a lonely life without him. _"I'm so sorry Red, please forgive me… I had no choice; you must meet with Yveltal and be plucked from this world, so you can become that which you were born to be… To have any chance of winning this war, we will need the Invincible Monster of the Forest on our side. The Eternal Master of Darkness must never get his hands on your full power my son, all is lost if he does"_

* * *

 **Bet you didn't see that coming, Lucario is Gallade's Dad… That means he blinded his own son. A touch of darkness in this story, but there is plenty more where that came from, far stronger darkness is yet to come.**

 **Well well well… Luke isn't his real name. I wonder why he's using a fake name… Why wouldn't he want the twins to know his _real_ name? You'll find out one day, but not today.**

 **For those of you who are thinking, Lucario and Gardevoir aren't in the same Egg group, that means they can't have Eggs… This is a FanFic, that means things'll happen in this which may not happen in the games or anime. That also extends to fan made Mega Evolutions/Primal Reversions, if the need arises.**

 **So that's that guys, the prologue Arc's done. It was fun, but what comes next is going to be** _ **far**_ **more fun (Grins demonically) oh yes, this is where the fun begins.**

 **Hopefully you guys enjoyed this cheesy goodbye Chapter, personally I think the song choice goes perfectly with this kind of goodbye, hope you guys agree.**

 **See you guys next Chapter, cry out a review, wail a suggestion at me, ask questions like why I'm not in a mental institution, pull a Guess Who and troll me… Do whatever you feel like doing.**

 **And as usual…** **HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	6. The Monster I have become

**Chapter 6: The Monster I have become**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to Wolfblade84 & Nightgale45, thanks so much for your reviews. Nightgale45, that is exactly what I wanted. A warning of things to come, the sweet and innocent boy known as Red. He's gone now. Dead and buried in the past… Read on to see what I mean for yourselves.**

 **Wolf, your review nearly brought a tear to my eye, I never expected anyone to like this story that much. It's no master piece, but I'm taking my time with it and planning carefully, and thanks so much for hitting that Favourite button, It** _ **really**_ **makes all the time and effort I'm putting into this story worth it… To know that someone else is enjoying this… Anyway I've babbled on about how much it means to me for long enough.**

 **I hope you guys like this story even more now the** _ **fucking prologue's**_ **over. I know I'm going to enjoy writing it more.**

 **Let's get on with the Chapter, hope you guys enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: (Sitting in a police interview room) I'm telling you, I don't own Pokémon… I don't care what that guy said, I don't own it. If I did Ash wouldn't be a 10 year old kid, the girls wouldn't be 10 year olds with BOOBS, they'd all be adults!… Wha? NOOOOO don't charge me! I'M INNOCENT!**

 **Edit: This chapter has been rewritten guys, hope you like it better.** _ **(Insert date posted here)**_

* * *

 **Previously**

Red and Charmander had to say goodbye to their family and loved ones, while it hurt, it had to be done. Lucario already knew about the offer Mew gave to them, and supported their decision to leave. He also foretold of a possible future.

One that left Lily in a potentially fatal situation and Red in a battle that should have ended his life.

When the boys said their goodbyes to Red's former Masters, some interesting information was revealed to them. Luke has been lying to the twins ever since he first met them, having told them his name was Luke, when it is not. Perhaps more surprising, was the fact that Lucario is Gallade's Father.

* * *

The night sky above is a blank canvas, showing nothing but the quiet calm of clean crisp air. The stars sparkle like candles amidst a sea of chaos, providing a comforting glow to those who know where to look. The dazzling gleam of the full moon bathes the forest beneath it in its brilliant shine, providing enough light for the eye to see, but not to prevent sleep. There isn't a cloud in the sky for miles, nothing hinders the sparkling scene of beauty above, it's as though an artist has captured the most perfect night sky imaginable and laid it out for all to see.

The sun retreated behind the mountains surrounding this place hours ago, signalling to all those who call this forest home that the time for sleep has come. The great thick forest, that countless call home, is perfectly still; the only traces of movement come from nocturnal predators such as Hoothoot and Noctowl. Silence is not one with this place, the sound of crashing water against rock bombards the senses at all times; there is no escaping its soothing rush.

Amidst the countless souls in this tranquil night, three are the focus of many, the three protectors of this holy ground. These three souls rest in the tallest of the trees, separated by the branches and sleeping Pokémon.

The biggest of the protectors lies at the edge of the safety of the tree; his scally hide reflects a small portion of light from the burning flame at the end of his elongated tail. His large wings, which are normally spread wide to fly, are coiled in against his back. Something has a hold over the warming tip of his tail, holding it tightly, the way a scared child holds their favourite toy. His head lies on its side, with his tongue hanging out as he dreams of food and battles he has waged and won. _"Zzzzzzz… Zzzzzzz… Keep claws away… My food… Zzzzzz"_ He grumbled lowly in his sleep.

There is only one soul brave, or perhaps foolhardy, enough to sleep near him, one whom clutches his tail, using his flame as a nightlight.

The second of these defenders lies amidst the other sleeping souls, but remains untouched by them, his bipedal form lies perfectly still amidst those he guards. His steel like hide reflects the moonlight around him, revealing his streamlined body to those who care to look. No sounds escape him as he sleeps, he lies perfectly still, with the exception of his rising and falling torso as he draws breath. He is easily the smallest of the guardians.

The final protector leans against the trunk of the tree, his back pressed against the bark. His eyes struggle to remain open, fighting to shut themselves and drift off into the embrace of sleep. His form is very different to those around him, his body is stronger and more battle worn, this male has been in more than a few fights in his life. He seems to have a humanoid figure, standing on two legs and having two arms crossed against his chest, perhaps he is human, a lone human in the world of Pokémon.

He is separated from the other two guardians, lying in a separate part of the tree's seemingly endless sea of greenery. Unlike his brothers, he is surrounded by the tiniest of souls, not only smaller than the rest that sleep but more fragile, almost childlike.

The humanoid figure's eyes finally succumb to the weight of his eyelids; they shut and send him off into a deep sleep. Almost instantly his body tenses up, his lips curl into his gums and he breaks out into a low growl. These actions cause a slight stir amidst the sleeping Pokémon around him, some show signs of fear and others grumble back at him.

In another part of the tree, the other guardians stir from their sleep, they too begin to tense up and show signs of aggression.

* * *

 **In his dream**

In the dream of the man, he stands tall, surrounded by nothing but a crushing darkness. The eye cannot see anything amidst this dark; it would seem he is alone. No scents linger in the air, other than his own stench, giving him no insight as to where he is. The only sound in this place is the deafening silence that has him trapped. Despite his senses telling him that he is here alone, this man cannot drop his guard, he knows that something is coming for him.

His electric blue eyes dart around nervously, taking in as much of his surroundings as possible, in a desperate search for something that isn't there. He continues to search, like he's expecting to find something that he doesn't want to see. "Where are you? I know you're here somewhere, COME OUT AND FACE ME! I'm ready for you this time" He growled in a deep and powerful voice.

"Red… Red, it's OK no one's coming… It's just you and me now, the others are all safe. You can relax now, no one'll get hurt if you relax" A soft, gentle, feminine voice whispered back to him, gently caressing his ears with her comforting words.

The eyes of the man, now known to be Red, widen as the words brush against his ears. A distinctive smile crawls across his filthy, hair covered face, removing any and all traces of aggression from him as it does.

"That… That voice…" He muttered. While it has changed, grown more confident and stronger, it still sounds as beautiful as the day he was first blessed by its angelic tones.

A small ball of white light quickly forms before his eyes, growing out and taking on the shape of someone he once knew, so many years ago. A sweet little seven year old girl stands before him; her honey blond hair, pink bow and sapphire blue eyes give her identity away in an instant. Serena looks exactly as she did the day he left her and his sister behind, as sweet and innocent as she was when they said goodbye.

His right hand rises up to cup itself over his mouth; he has to look down to be able to see her properly. It dawns on him just how long it's been since he last saw her, to be so much taller than she is, he must have been gone for years.

"Serena… It's been such a long time, so long since I saw you, please tell me you're safe and happy" He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She smiles sweetly at the man she had a crush on when they were both this small, that was so long ago, they were both young and gullible back then, gullible enough to believe that nothing would keep them apart for long. She smiles at him, but offers no more words of comfort.

Her body is quickly swallowed by aqua blue light, enveloping her fragile young frame, the way a Pokémon would when the time comes for it to evolve. She grows taller before his eyes, filling out as she does, just enough to give her some sexy curves. Her hair drapes down her back, thicker and fuller than it ever was when she was a child. Her breasts blossom out of her chest, snatching his attention as they do; they grow out full and firm. Her arms grow longer and longer, but remain thin and feminine, ending with petite soft hands, perfect for caressing flesh tenderly. She turns on the spot, giving him a clear view of her plumping ass, by the time it's done growing; it looks just like a perfect heart shaped pillow.

She spins back around to face him, her hair fluttering around her as she does, enthralling his gaze instantly. The glow around her quickly fades away, revealing her soft ivory skin for his eyes to ravage. It doesn't last long though; her face quickly becomes the focus of his attention, her astounding beauty enslaves his senses and refuses to let them go. The one thing about her that hasn't changed as she's gotten older, is her eyes, they remain the perfect jewels plucked from the purest of stone that he remembers.

Most of her body is quickly covered by soft, white fluffy clouds, leaving her torso and waist covered and hidden from his hungry stare. Even now, she doesn't even come close to his towering height so she still has to look up at him, but she has the perfect height to rest her head against his chest in a warm embrace.

She smiles sweetly at him, as a light dust of blush falls across her cheeks. His hungry eyes rake across her body, taking in as much of her as he possibly can. "It's been longer than you think Red… It's been a very long time since you left us behind" Her voice is like liquid honey in his ears, washing away the built up filth and debris.

His eyes widen even further as his knees buckle slightly under his own weight, he hasn't heard such a beautiful sound… Ever. The cold and cracked rock in his chest that was once a human heart begins to beat harder, spreading the splits across its surface even further.

She smirks playfully at him. "My eyes are up here Red" She said as she pointed towards her eyes. In that moment he realises his eyes have been lingering in places where they shouldn't have, they instantly dart up to meet hers as a heavy blush breaks out across his face. "That's better mister" She giggled with a smile.

"I… I guess it's been a _really_ long time Serena… Just how long have I been gone for?" He whispered to her, eager to change the subject.

She slowly shakes her head dismissively. "It doesn't matter, what matters is you're here, with me… Do… Do you still think about us? About those you left behind?… Do you still think about me?" She asked timidly with a growing blush.

His hand quickly drops from his face, a lump forms in his throat; he knows the answer but is afraid to tell her. He hasn't spoken about this is in such a long time, none of them have, he doesn't even know if he has the strength to say it. The words of his Grampa come to mind.

" _Live free, die well Red. The wisdom of the Knights is revealed in these words, we live our lives free of fear, so when our time comes, we go with Yveltal to the other side without regret, knowing we lived our lives to the fullest, because we lived without fear. When our time comes, when Yveltal comes to claim our souls, then we die with dignity and honour, fighting with our weapons in our hands. We die the deaths of Knights. Remember Red; never let your fear stay your hand, live free and die well my son"_

Inspired by these words of wisdom, he swallows the lump in his throat and steels his courage, all this will take is a few seconds of bravery and then it is done. "I've gone through so much since we said goodbye, so much pain… A day hasn't gone by without you being the centre of my thoughts Serena… I've missed you more than words could ever say" He breathed out. "Some days, thoughts of coming back to you, were all that kept me going"

Her blush grows deeper upon hearing his kind words; she slinks forwards, wiggling her hips as she does. "Red, I've thought about you every day since you left me behind… But it's been so long, so very long… When you left me, my heart belonged to you and you alone… And it still does"

Together the pace of their beating hearts rise, kicking up the blush on their faces to the next level. For the first time since he left the safety of his home, Red is completely lost for words. Her beauty has completely entranced him, the way a Milotic would as she calls out to her beloved Gyarados.

"Serena, why are you here?" The question fell from his lips before it formed in his mind.

She rolls her eyes at him and places her hands on her hips, as she does brilliant white light erupts from behind her to wipe out the darkness. "What do you mean, why am I here? I came to see you 'cause I missed you, you moron" She giggled.

The smile across his face grows wider; as it does his moment of courage becomes a streak of confidence, strong enough to ask a dreaded question. "Serena… Could… Could you ever see me as anything more than a friend? Is there any hope for us having a future together?"

She rolls her eyes at him again, pouting her lips out and examining him carefully, analysing his body and absorbing the changes in him. After a moment she huffs out a breath and slowly shakes her head, she then looks him dead in the eye to maintain his focus. "Well you're a disgusting mess, you're absolutely filthy, you're wearing rags that don't even fit you properly and you stink to high heaven"

His smile drops from his face as his hope dies inside his heart. "I knew it, an angel like her with a Monster like me… Never happen" He thought dismissively.

She plants her hands on her hips once again and shakes her head again. "You'll need one Hell of a makeover, but I think I can pull it off. My boyfriend isn't allowed to look disgusting" She announced with a smile.

Confusion writes itself across his face, boyfriend? What does that mean? "Wha?"

She rolls her eyes towards the non-existent sky above and shakes her head again. "Just as stupid as ever…" She whispered. "Shut up and kiss me, before I change my mind" She said flatly.

Before he has the chance to question her, her arms slink around his neck, pulling him down to meet her. His large, rough and powerful hands quickly rise up to her face, gently caressing her skin and cupping onto her jaw line.

"Yes ma'am" He whispered back to her, with a hint of sass. He gently pulls her up, to meet him halfway.

Their conscious minds shut down, no thoughts pass through or form in either of them, their bodies have been possessed by their raging libidos. Their eyes slowly shut, as their lips close together, milometers apart. The warmth from her breath tantalises and teases the devil in his pants; the harsh heat from his breath against her lips sends chills down her spine.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" She screeched as she pushed him away from her, with horror written across her face. She stares up at the man she just confessed her feelings to like he's a horrific creature, born from the Darkness found in the deepest depths of Hell. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" She cried in fear.

He just stands there, dumbstruck by her outburst towards him, did he do something wrong? He thought this is what she wanted, why is she screaming and trying to get away from him? The power of speech has left him, he can only watch as she backs away from him, absolutely terrified.

A shadowy figure quickly passes through him; it's not quite as tall as him, but is still taller than she is. The figure stands between Red and Serena, its gaze firmly locked onto the latter. It quickly becomes clear to him that she's not afraid of him, she's afraid of this thing.

" _Don't give me orders bitch. I've given you plenty of chances, now it's time for me to get what I want"_ The figure spat venomously as it makes its way closer to her.

The instinct to rip the figure's throat out with his teeth quickly boils in Red's blood, before he has the chance to act on this powerful desire, the all too familiar feeling of chains against his wrists makes itself known. The chains around his arms pull him down to his knees, tightening their hold over him and locking him in place, he's trapped.

He struggles against his shackles, desperately trying to break their hold over him. Despite the valiant effort, they prove to be too strong for him to break like this; he's forced to watch these events unfold.

Serena runs as fast as she possibly can away from this figure, desperately trying to escape it. The figure quickly chases her down, knocking her to the ground and pinning her in place. The figure quickly rolls her onto her back and pins her back down again, she struggles against it but can't break free, she's as much as prisoner here as Red is.

The figure quickly pulls out a large silvery knife and slashes her face repeatedly, blood pours down from her elegant Swanna like face, turning it crimson. "RED! PLEASE HELP ME! I NEED YOU! P-P-P-P-PLLLLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEE HELP ME!… You promised you'd help me when I needed you. Please" She pleaded, her voice growing weaker with each passing second.

The man she calls for wants to help, he wants to help more than anything in the world, but he is bound in place, unable to do anything at all. His entire body is paralysed, he can't even speak, all he can do is watch as the figure violates her.

Regardless of his lack of response, the figure slowly turns its head to face him. Its face is nothing but a blank sheet of smoke, with the exception of its eyes, where they should be dark blue smoke rises up. _"She belongs to me now; there is nothing you can do to stop me. I will claim her as my possession"_ It spat at him, before turning its attention back to its prey.

Its hips begin to thrust into her, slowly at first but it quickly picks up the pace. Her eyes widen in pain as tears roll down her cheeks. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She cried. Her cries of pain only make the figure thrust harder and faster.

Red tries to turn away, he can't bear to watch her suffer like this; he can't bear to watch her have everything about her stolen. His head refuses to turn away; his body is rebelling against him and forcing him to watch this horror. Her cries of pain stab into him, cutting him deeper than any blade, claw or talon ever could. He's forced to watch her be raped over and over again; he's forced to listen to her beg him to save her.

After the figure has raped her for the fourth and final time, it's finally spent. It rises up from her and spits on her face. She lies on the ground, eyes swollen and red from shedding so many tears. The light has been stripped from her once sparkling eyes, leaving nothing but hollow and empty orbs that provide her with a sense of sight.

" _That was_ _your_ _fault bitch! You loved it and you know it! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A SLUT! A WHORE! A SLAPER AND MY POSSESSION!"_ The figure spat.

She doesn't react to his cruel words; she just lies on the ground, unable to accept what just happened to her. "Red… Why didn't you help me? Why did you let him do that to me? Why did you abandon me?" She thought, as the figure walked away.

"Red… Red… I know you can hear me Red, why didn't you help me? You promised me you would… Why did you abandon me? Why didn't you keep your promise?" She asked weakly, as her tears mix with her blood.

Every fibre of Red is screeching for him to rip that motherfucker limb from limb, to strip the flesh from his bones and gouge his eyes out. More than this, a powerful desire to hold her close burns in his heart, to ease her pain and make her feel better. To comfort her in any way he possibly can… But the cold steel of the chains prevents him from moving; even now he can't use his own body.

She chokes on her own tears slightly, before sighing heavily. "Don't bother Red… There's no point anymore, it's too late, the damage has been done… He's left his mark on me, he's tainted me with his seed" Her voice devoid of emotion and life. While the figure failed to end her life, he has destroyed her soul.

Her words leave him with confusion, left his mark on her? What does that mean? A change in her body quickly answers his questions and leaves no doubt as to what she means. His eyes shrink in sheer horror at what he sees, the urge to vomit rises up inside him, if only his mouth would open he could expel this urge. The soft white clouds around her stomach quickly darken, turning into a shroud of darkness.

That sick bastard got her pregnant.

The scene quickly vanishes, as does Serena, leaving Red completely alone once again in the darkness.

Just as quickly as it all vanished, it returns again, this time Serena is standing on a metal railing, at the top level of a giant tower surrounded by glass. He has no idea just what she's standing on, but he couldn't care less, there's only one reason why she'd be on something this tall in such an unsafe manor. She wants to end her own and her unborn child's life.

A stream of tears rolls down her cheeks, moistening the now dry scabs across her slashed face. The Darkness in her belly is still there, as strong as it was before, it can't have been long since she was defiled so horrifically.

She looks up to the sky one last time, taking one last look at its beauty, thick thunderclouds have covered it; a storm will soon break free from them. How fitting, the sky reflects the sorrow and pain clinging to her soul in this, her final moment.

Without saying a single word, she takes a deep and calming breath, before swan diving off the edge and falling through the air towards the cold, hard ground below. She falls, she falls fast.

Time slows down for the bound man, unable to do anything but watch this; his lungs refuse to do their job, stopping him from drawing breath. His eyes turn to glass, dead and devoid of life and emotion.

As she falls through the air, people, Pokémon and cars become visible, none of them even show the slightest bit of interest as she plummets towards them. Her eyes slowly shut, as she readies herself for the sweet embrace of death. With an echoing silence, she crashes into the cold concrete; it cracks apart with the impact, crumbling into dust. Her lifeless body leaks its vital fluids out onto the street, as her soul abandons her earthly body.

She's dead.

* * *

Red's eyes rip open as he awakens from his nightmare. His lungs take the deepest gulp of air they can, reaching their physical limit in less than a second, before releasing the natural gases into the world once again. A cold sweat runs down his flesh as he pants and looks around his surroundings with a panicked flurry. His eyes rake the world around him, desperately searching for the focus of his fear. "Where are you Serena?" He thought.

One of the tiny souls around him stirs enough for their sleep to be broken. A tiny timid squeak hits his ears, followed by the cries of the scared baby. Within seconds his large, rough, callous covered hands gently scoop up the tiny soul and cradle it against his chest. "Sssshhh… It's OK, Big Brother's here… Sssshhh… Don't cry… It was just a bad dream OK? Go back to sleep little one" His voice is barely above a whisper, but it is loud enough to sooth the terrified Pokémon in his arms.

Within moments the little one drifts back to sleep, snuggled up against his chest for the comforting warmth that comes from a loved one. The sound of the little one's snores tell him that his job is done; with expert precision, he gently places the baby back down with the others, without waking any of them in the process.

Now his job is done he has the time to ponder what he just saw. His back is met by the touch of bark, as his hands wipe the sweat from his face. "I need to talk to Charizard and Blade, they'll know what to do" He thought, to avoid the risk of waking the younglings again.

Silently, he transverses the complex systems of the ancient Home Tree, one of the few places where the young can sleep safely at night, without fear of predators. Silently he reaches the branches where his brother resides, careful not to wake anyone from their sleep.

The dragon of Fire stirs slightly, but doesn't wake up. _"Zzzzzz… Boss… Get off my back… Not fat… Zzzzz…"_ He growled in his sleep.

Red crouches down beside his head, with a look of disgust written across his face. "Charizard, get up" He said with a hushed whisper, so as not to wake the others. "Get up you fat ass. I need to talk"

The one clutching Charizard's tail stirs in her sleep, but does not wake. Her sharp teeth gently press into the scales below his flame, to lightly chew on the warm flesh. _"Zzzzz… But Big Brother… Not time for breakfast… Sleep now… Zzzzz"_

The whispers of his brother failed to stir him, but the mention of the word that promises food breaks his slumber in an instant. His eyelids bolt open; the organs of sight they concealed adjust to the darkness within seconds, allowing him to see his brother scowling down at him.

" _Who said breakfast?"_ He growled eagerly, before realising that the sun has yet to rise. _"Boss? The fuck're you doin' 'ere? Get your ass back to the screaming shit machines, I ain't doin' guard duty again"_

The hard stare of his brother silences the dragon, while also forcing him to listen to what he has to say. _"Boss what's wrong? It's not him is it?"_ He asked with a hint of fear.

Red shakes his head once, much to the relief of Charizard. "Get up. I need to talk to you and Blade. Now" He whispered firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. "I think I had a vision of the future"

* * *

The three guardians of this holy place find their feet firmly planted in solid earth once again. While two of them have barely been pulled from their sleep, all three of them are wide awake. The man who was unlucky enough to be named for a colour, forces himself to recall the gruesome details of his oldest friend's death. Each word that passes through his lips slams into his soul, as though he's been dropped into a frozen lake.

With an emotionless look across his filthy face, Red concludes his ordeal. "She hit the ground. Dead" His voice is devoid of life and emotion, but remains as strong and powerful as ever.

His electric blue eyes are fixed firmly across the burned remains of an old picture. The gift Serena gave both him and his sister on their eighth birthday, a photo of them all together, the day they met their partners. Time has had a harsh effect across it; most of it has felt the burn of fire, leaving only the smiling faces of himself, Serena and their Charmanders.

Despite the damage that time has done, the smiling faces of them all still sparks a flurry of conflicting emotions inside him. Joy strikes first, a reminder of the time when they were still all together and happier than they'd ever been. Rage follows, this serves as a painful reminder of how stupid he once was, to think he was ever a match for the Darkness trapped inside. Sorrow swallows the rage, he left everything behind… His family and his friends. He cannot regret leaving, he had no choice, but it doesn't change the pain he feels at the memory of those he cares about. Finally heartache claims him; born from the sorrow, a desire to return to them all comes through.

He swore to return when he mastered his powers and once the Beast met its end… But can it be done? Can the Beast ever truly die? Despite all his training, all his pain and suffering, he's no closer to answering those questions than he was before he ever left.

The pain grows too strong for the lump of stone in his chest to handle; he carefully returns the one link he has left to his childhood home to his pocket. Where it will be safe, for now at least.

The bipedal Pokémon, who calls himself Blade, turns to his brother. _"Master, if you believe what you saw to be a vision, and you want to prevent it from coming to pass, then we must go. Now"_

The fully evolved starter cracks his neck to the side, sending a pang of pain down his spine. His eyes widen at the suggestion of his far smaller brother. _"Ugh… I want to live, so I'm goanna say no"_ He growled. _"Do you have any idea what Nibbler'll do to me?! FUCK! Maw Maw'll skin us alive!"_

His fear filled growls force his brothers to face him, both of them looking at him with fear across their faces. "Fuck" Red said sharply. "I'm a dead man"

" _If it's a choice between a slow and painful death, or facing either of them when they're angry… Death please"_ Charizard whimpered slightly.

His trainer shares his terror, having felt the lash of both his sister and mother figure many times before; he knows all too well _never_ to make them angry. But there's more on the line here than himself, she needs him… He promised her a long time ago that he'd protect her, from anything; he can't risk breaking that promise. No matter the cost to himself.

"Shit… I don't have a choice Charizard; they can kill me when I get back. I have to go _now_ , she needs me" He said firmly. "I promised her I'd protect her and I can't break that promise"

The arms of Blade cross themselves definitively, like his trainer and brother; he too is determined to prevent this vision from coming to pass. _"I know what she means to you Master, I will do anything I must to protect her for you"_

The earth trembles as Charizard drops onto the ground, allowing him to scratch the back of his head with a foot. _"You're both morons. Boss you want me to take you… Wherever the fuck she is, don't you?"_ Red offers no form of response, there is no need to, Charizard already knows the answer. _"Well there's only one way I'll do it… Admit you want her to be your mate, and I'll do it"_

Anger spikes out of Red and through his Connections with both the Pokémon here. Both of them are well aware of his determination to think of the honey blonde haired beauty as a friend, but they're also painfully aware of how he has failed miserably.

Unwilling to give into Charizard's demands, the auburn haired man quickly thinks of a counter offer. "No. I'll get you as much food as you can stomach, it'll be an all you can eat thing… You in?"

At the mention of food, all thoughts of forcing a confession from him are driven from the mind of Charizard. His tongue falls from his jaw, allowing a thin trail of drool to fall from its surface. _"Uuuuuugggggghhhhhh… All I can eat… I'm in"_

The metallic head of Blade shakes, catching the moonlight across its surface as it does. _"Some things will never change. Master you are as stubborn as ever, Charizard you will always be a bottomless pit, masked as a dragon… We are wasting time, we must leave now"_

The dragon, with a fire burning on the end of his tail, stretches his wings out, flooding them with blood in preparation for what will be a long flight. He angrily growls a death threat under his breath, one which remains ignored by both the one who it is aimed at and their brother.

The lone human turns towards the great tree, which holds the family he has built up over the years that he has called this place home. Fear sparks up inside of him, as he realises they'll be leaving this place unguarded while they're gone. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

Blade turns his sharp eyes to the Home Tree as well, unlike his Master he feels no fear for those they care about. _"Master, they can survive without our protection and guidance for a few days. They will understand that this must be done. Maw Maw will keep order in our absence. Zaru has been trained well, he is not quite as strong as we are, but he is strong enough. They will be fine"_

" _You call the Boss a moron, Blade you dipshit think for a minute"_ Charizard growled, as he turned his attention towards the mountains surrounding them. _"The Boss ain't worried they'll survive, he's afraid of the big bastard. Zaru can't kill him, Hell when the time comes_ _we'll_ _have trouble doing it"_

Blade's eyes rake across the field of vision his sharp eyes allow him, silently searching for something that cannot be seen through the impenetrable veil of darkness the night casts upon the world. _"I see. He would not dare attack, not after what happened last time"_ He said, certain he is correct. _"We will have to hunt him down ourselves. He_ _will_ _pay for his betrayal"_

The eyes of the human male narrow at the mention of the traitor. His hands act of their own accord, clenching into fists so tight that the skin across his palms splits open. A few tiny drops of crimson glory crawl down his fingers, before finally falling to the earth.

A deep and primal snarl forces itself through his teeth, drawing in the attention of both Blade and Charizard, who stare at him with fear across their faces. _"Boss… You OK?"_

"Malithor" Red snarled. The name of one of his enemies leaves a foul taste in his mouth. "If I ever see your ugly face again, I'll rip your god dam head off" His voice echoes through the forest, carried by a deep and primal hatred.

* * *

Elsewhere, in the peaceful region of Kalos, the residents of Vaniville town are beginning to awaken. The beautiful blue skies are cloaked by an endless stream of dark clouds, clouds which block the sunlight and hide the surface of blue from sight. Despite the lack of sunlight, the people and Pokémon are still aware of the start of the new day. The horrific sounds of the cursed inventions, known as alarm clocks, awaken souls of all kinds.

Inside one of the houses, which a family has made into a home, a beautiful young woman ignores the horrific bleeping of her clock, in favour of sleeping in just a little longer. "Snooze… Need more snooze" She whined; only half awake, as she hit the button atop her clock.

Her succulent honey blonde hair lies freely across the pure white surface of her pillow, soaking it in her natural scent of honey. "Zzzzz… But Mom… Don't wanna race… Wanna sleep" Serena Yvonne groaned, as her dreams turned to being forced to race Rhyhorn.

Her boudoir is quite spacious, having a single bed with a nightstand beside it. Atop this piece of furniture sits a small pink lamp, a digital alarm clock, which has been temporarily silenced, and a treasured picture encased in a wooden photo frame.

Her walls are plain white, while her floors are covered by a hot pink carpet and a large pastel pink heart shaped rug. A tall wardrobe and full length mirror allow her to put a lot of thought into what clothes she wears each day. A small Pokébed resides against a wall, allowing a small Pokémon to sleep outside their Pokéball at night. Right now its owner is outside, enjoying the new day.

A single window allows sunlight to fill the room, while it is by no means large, it is big enough for her to poke her head out of and look at the morning sun.

While the teenage beauty that is Serena catches up on her beauty sleep, her Mom is already awake and preparing breakfast for her family. Grace has aged well, despite being dangerously close to forty; she doesn't look a day older than thirty and is still beautiful in the eyes of many.

The gentle morning breeze flows through the open window in the kitchen, carrying the scent of cooking pancakes all throughout the house. The curtains flutter in the wind, as a tiny robin Pokémon lands on the windowsill. Its head is covered by orangish-red feathers, while the rest of its body is covered by a white and silvery grey sheen of waterproof feathers. Two thin twig like legs poke through to let it stand, on each foot a pair of toes and a small spur keep it balanced. A pair of sweet black eyes and a long beak completes the look of innocence across its face.

He's a Fletchling, a Normal/Flying bird Pokémon that possesses a beautiful singing voice.

Grace offers her Pokémon a kind smile. "Fletchling, could you be a dear and wake Serena for me please? I tried to wake her, but I got told to piss off and by the sound of it, she's turned her clock off again" Grace asked with a kind tone and a smile on her lips.

The tiny robin nods his head obediently. _"No problem"_ With that he jumps into the air and catches the wind under his wings, allowing him to glide through the archway and into the living room. The room is nicely decorated, with a three seater couch and an armchair as well as a decent sized flat screen TV. In the corner of the room, resides a small round table with three chairs around it. A small vase, with a fresh bouquet of flowers, ties it together. The walls are dotted with various family pictures.

The tiny robin makes his way up the stairs and through the hall, to reach the door that will allow him entrance to the young lady's room. The door is open a crack, just enough for him to make his way through. He makes his way through the air, to land on the photo frame.

The honey blonde beauty continues to sleep, blissfully unaware that her dreams are about to come to an end. With a loving smile across her lips, she rolls onto her side, allowing Fletchling to look upon her face. "Hmm… Red…" She murmured with a happy tone. "We missed you…"

The years have certainly been kind to Serena Yvonne, her beauty and natural curves have made her the envy of many young women her age. This often makes her the subject of many unwanted advances, some of which come from men old enough to be her Dad.

It seems Red's vision of his childhood crush was accurate, at least in terms of how she has blossomed into a beautiful seventeen year old woman.

For a moment, Fletchling watches her smile, but once her murmurs shift to more _adult_ themes, he decides that she's had enough sleep. _"There's nothing anyone could ever do, to make me listen to this"_ He thought, before beginning to sing his song.

She stirs under her duvet slightly, before opening her eyes a crack. The dim glow of her clock meets her gaze, telling her that it's time for her to awaken. Seeing she's awake, Fletchling stops singing and gives her a hard stare. _"This is your one and only warning, go back to sleep and you are giving me permission to use Peck on that pretty little face of yours"_ He chirped sharply.

A gentle yawn forces its way through the soft and tender lips of Serena, she can't understand his chirps, but she knows what happens when she ignores him and goes back to her dreams. "OK I'm up Fletchling, you can fuck off now" She grumbled.

Satisfied that his job is done, the Flying/Normal bird Pokémon takes to the air again, to return to his trainer downstairs. _"If I don't hear the shower in the next five minutes, I'll be back missy"_ He warned her, as he flew through the crack in the doorway.

With a less than friendly hand gesture, she rolls onto her back and gently rubs the sleep from her eyes. "Why does he always wake me before I get to the best part?" She groaned angrily. "I'll get you for that one day, you fucking Pidgeon"

Her head rolls across her pillow, allowing her to look at the picture that holds pride of place atop her nightstand. The sight of the photo warms her heart and drives all her previous negativity from her, forcing a smile across her lips.

The picture that was taken for the twins eighth birthday has been one of the first things she's seen in the morning for years now, sometimes it causes a painful goodbye to flash before her mind's eye, other times it warms her heart to see them all happy and together. Luckily today the picture doesn't spur pain for her; it only melts her tender heart.

Shortly after this precious gift was given, she preserved hers in a photo frame, so she can always remember that fantastic day. When they all met their partners, which was coincidently one of the last days they were all together.

She begrudgingly pulls herself away from the comforting embrace of her bed, to plant her feet softly in the carpet. A plain baby blue nightie hugs her figure well, while preserving her modesty as she sleeps. The bottom of her nightwear reaches the mid-section of her creamy thighs, with a triangular cut in either side to allow her to move without risk of tearing it apart.

She stares at the one and only picture she has of them all together with a longing gaze. "I can't believe how long it's been" She thought aloud. "Ten years… Red you've been gone for so long… Please, someone give me a sign that he's still alive and that he remembers me"

Her delicate hands gently clamp onto the wood of the frame, lifting it into the air so she can look upon it with tear filled eyes. "Please Red; tell me you haven't forgotten me… You promised me that you'd always remember us and you'd come back when you could, please don't break my heart" Despite the fact that he can never hear her, she still feels comforted by this simple act.

"I was yours the moment I met you, you were my Knight in shining armour… I'll wait for you for a thousand years if I have to. Because I love you" She whispered.

She gingerly places a tender kiss across the glass, before replacing the frame where it belongs. Not a moment later she makes her way to the bathroom, to get ready for the day. Once she has cleansed her body in the warm water of the shower, she readies her subtle makeup and brushes her long hair so it has small curls at the ends. She dresses herself in the outfit she chose for the day, a short black skirt and a dull crimson belly top, these clothes complement her hourglass figure and display her natural curves. To protect her feet, but also allow them to breathe in the spring sunlight, she wears a pair of wooden soled flip-slops.

Finally, to tie her outfit together, she wears an adult sized pink bow; looking exactly the same as the one she wore as a girl. The accessory lifts her stunning hair to form a loose pony tail, which reaches half way down her back. "There, perfect" She said as she took a look at her hair in the mirror.

A thought pops into her mind, one that stops her in her tracks. "It's been a long time… I've certainly changed since I last saw him, which means he's probably changed too. Both inside and out" A blush forms across her face, as a devious grin appears on her lips.

She absent mindedly makes her way back to her room, as she delves into these thoughts further. "I wonder what he looks like now…" She thought with a sultry tone.

While Serena is by no means a shallow woman, as she values the soul inside more than the body, at the end of the day she's still a teenager. Everyone goes through the phase of life where they're slaves to their libidos, for Serena that time is far from over. As such, what's on the outside plays a major role in her attraction to the opposite sex.

Before she realises that she has made her way to her room, she finds herself sitting on the comfortable surface of her bed again. The momentary shift of her focus doesn't last long, not a second later her perverted thoughts of an adult Red return, stronger than before. "He lives in a forest, maybe he'll be like Tarzan and be buff" Her devious grin grows wider at the sultry thought.

Her breathing picks up slightly, as her heart beats harder and faster in her chest. "A nice strong man, with a muscly chest that I can rest my head on as I sleep…" With each thought, her womanhood tingles and dampens even further. "I'll rub my hands over you while you sleep… Then you can do _far_ worse to me" Her hands slink down across her body, snaking their way towards her groin, eager to relieve herself.

Before they can reach their target, she realises if she keeps this up she'll need to change her clothes again. With difficulty, she manages to force the perverted thoughts from her mind long enough for her to go downstairs. Despite her attempts to focus, her mind wanders yet again. "You _are_ mine Red. You just don't know it yet"

* * *

The horny teen resides in her usual seat at the table, as she doesn't possess the culinary expertise of her Mom; she's been banned from the kitchen. To pass the time, she's watching her favourite TV show 'When housewives attack'.

The sound of the TV informs Grace that someone else has also awakened. Her husband is sleeping in today; none of their Pokémon has the dexterity to use the remote, for anything besides throwing at any rate, so that only leaves one culprit.

"You've finally decided to grace us with your presence Serena" She chimed from the kitchen. "Remember the deal sweetie, you keep out of my kitchen and Fletchling doesn't wake you up with Peck"

A memory flashes before the sapphire eyes of Serena, that deal was hashed out a few years ago, when she accidentally set the curtains on fire with her attempts at cooking. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere near the stove. Not after last time I tried"

The sounds of a laughing Fletchling overpower the blares of the TV, forcing a dark scowl across the soft face of Serena. "Laugh it up Bird Brain" She grumbled as she turned up the volume. "When Mom's not looking, I'll feed you to Charla"

Within minutes the golden surface of the delicious pancakes darkens just enough to be considered perfect. With the culinary expertise of a Chef, Grace flips two stacks of four pancakes onto a pair of plates. On one stack she expertly pours the perfect amount of sugary syrup, topped with a few chopped up Oran and Pecha berries. On the second, thick cream is laced across their surface, again topped with the delicious fruits called Oran and Pecha.

Along with the appropriate cutlery, Grace carries the perfectly prepared food into the living room. She places the syrup soaked stack before her daughter, and gives herself the slightly healthier option. "Eat up before Fletchling gets his greedy beak on 'em" Grace joked, as she took a bite of her food.

Not one to be told twice, Serena happily digs in to her food. "Mmm, delicious Mom. Thanks" She complimented, with a mouthful.

While they tuck into their food, Fletching watches the TV with great interest. _"I love this show"_ He chirped happily, obviously not hearing his trainer's joke.

"We'll start training once we've eaten" Grace suddenly announced.

The steel fork in the slender hand of Serena freezes in her mouth, her face drops into a hefty pout. "I fucking _hate_ racing Mom, can't I just skip it today? Please?"

A swift, yet firm, shake of her head is the answer to her question. Grace gently replaces her cutlery on the table, while giving her daughter the infamous look, the look that is effective at both penetrating the defences of teenagers across the world and inducing guilt at their cores. The world knows this facial expression, as the infamous 'Mom look'. "Serena this is your future we're training for, we can't just skip a session because you don't feel like it"

With a roll of her moody eyes, Serena returns to eating her breakfast while simultaneously watching the glowing box known as a TV. "Doesn't matter what _I_ want do with my life, does it?" She muttered bitterly.

The guilt inducing look across Grace's face darkens into a scowl. "I know you don't like thinking about the future Serena, but one of us has to. Until you can get your heads out of the clouds, long enough to prepare for the future, you will be following in my footsteps" She said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

A matching scowl forms across the teen's face, one which is firmly aimed at her Mother. "Well if you let me have a break from racing, I might _actually_ be able to find something for myself" She snapped bitterly. With a heavy sigh, she gives up her fight, knowing she'll never win it. "Can I at least go for a walk before I have to do it? I want to keep my breakfast in my belly for once"

Ignoring the resentment in her tone, Grace's lips tug into a gentle smile. "Of course you can, just don't be too long. Dad'll go crazy if he finds out you've gone out… You know how paranoid he is"

A sweatdrop crawls down the head of Serena, as she nervously smiles back at her Mom. "Yeah… I promise I won't talk to any boys that I don't have to, don't want Dad shooting anyone else for the crime of talking to me. I swear if he had his way, I'd never get a boyfriend"

Fletchling chuckles at the conversation, despite not being able to take part in it himself, he still enjoys listening to them all the same. _"Forget the boyfriend, if he doesn't stop shooting at any guy who comes near you, you'll be a virgin forever. Unless you can find a guy who's not frighten of getting shot… Good luck with that"_

* * *

Route one's woodlands have been allowed to grow freely, providing a home for countless Pokémon native to Kalos. The thick plant life greatly resembles the wilds of Kanto, but the trees lack the titanic proportions of Viridian and Pallet. Pink blossom fills the tops of the trees, their fallen petals cover the earth and plants, turning them pale pink. To complete this scene, thick clouds cover the skies, casting a dull light over Kalos. What should be the morning sun light is in fact closer to the twilight.

Deep in the heart of the woodlands, a tree as old as the forest itself has finally fallen, its absence has formed a small clearing. The earth, where this former giant was torn from its bed, has begun to heal; the wound is steadily becoming a scar. One that shall be forgotten, given time.

The teenage beauty that is Serena sits on this log, listening closely to the sounds of the forest. These woodlands are her favourite place to go, whenever she needs to be alone or to whittle away some time. Today though, she simply seeks to enjoy the peace and tranquillity, that comes from being alone in nature.

Unbeknown to her, she is not alone in this tranquil slice of heaven. From the shadows cast down by the treeline, a pair of hungry, evil eyes watch the teenage beauty. Waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

"You're so beautiful Serena… I'll enjoy taming you" He thought darkly, as he slowly and carefully creeps through the treeline, searching for the perfect spot to begin his assault.

He takes up position behind her, allowing him to watch her without being seen. "I have my 'insurance' ready, now all I have to do, is think of a plan" He thought, with a dark grin across his face.

Positioned like this allows him to see her, but she can't see him in return. Ah the element of surprise, an old tactic, but one that has worked for centuries. There's always the chance that she'll call for help, but out here Holocasters won't get reception. No bars, no calling for help. She'll probably scream and beg for mercy, but these woods are so old and thick, nobody'll be able to hear her. That just leaves the wild Pokémon, but they're easy enough to scare off and she never brings her own, not out here.

"It's just you and me now Serena, and no one's coming to save you"

His small hand clamps onto the knots in the bark, giving him a sense of power over the plant. What little light there is soaks his face, his fake tan makes him look as though he spends a lot of time in the sun. Black hair, which drips with grease, runs past his ears but fails to meet his shoulders. In his pale grey eyes, a dark desire lurks.

His grin grows wider at the completion of his plan; all that's left is to carry out the deed. For the briefest of moments, he forgets that she doesn't know that he's here, lurking in the shadows, and allows a chuckle of anticipation to break the silence.

Serena's eyes open with a start, that definitely wasn't a Pokémon. That sound was undeniably laughter, Pokémon can't laugh, at least not in a way that humans can understand. That can only mean one thing, someone's spying on her.

Rising to her feet, her sapphire blue eyes dart around, searching for signs of movement. "W-w-who's there?" She timidly called out, as her fear swells inside her heart.

A moment of silence follows her call, casting away the previous peace and tranquillity, replacing it with fear and tension. The hairs across the back of her Swanna like neck stand on end, petrified by the thought of being spied upon.

And then, it ends. The fear, the tension and the sense of violation that all come from the eyes of a peeping tom, vanish. As quickly as they came, they vanish. Leaving only bitter annoyance in their place.

"Calem!" She called out bitterly. Her eyes fail to see his face, but there can be no doubt as to the identity of her stalker, after all, he's done it so many times before.

"Dam it" Calem muttered from the treeline. With both his identity and location revealed, he can no longer skulk in the shadows. He must either escape or face her head on.

Running away certainly isn't an option today, not when he's put so much time and effort into following her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. That leaves him with only the one option.

The man, who has been stalking the object of his obsession, ever since she first took a step out into the streets, confidently struts out from the trees. His confidence shines through with every step, a dazzling smile lies across his lips and a slow, drawn out wink are evidence to his mind set.

He is god's gift to women, about that there can be no doubt. No woman can resist his charms, his looks or his money. Sure some resist him at first, but in the end, he always gets what he wants. At least, he has until Serena came along.

He's not much taller than she is, but he uses it to look down at her and any others he comes across. While his skin is naturally pale in colouration, his fake tan masks it and gives the impression of spending most of his time in the sun. He can't be half way into his twenties yet, twenty four at the very most, but his hair makes him look far older.

His torso is covered by a plain white button up shirt; however most of it cannot be seen as he's wearing a heavy blue jacket over the top of it. What _can_ be seen however, is a distinctive bulge in the stomach of his shirt, as though he's concealing something beneath it. From the waist down, he wears a pair of tight dark blue jeans; this often draws in the attention of many women to his backside. His feet are protected by a heavy pair of black construction worker style boots, sporting an obvious steal toecap; they look as though they'll deal heavy damage if used in a kick.

Despite his 'charms', his overpowering cologne and his egotistical thinking of himself, _somehow_ Serena manages to maintain her dark scowl. "How many times do I have to tell him no? I've lost count" She thought.

Over the years, Calem has proved that the word 'no' has no place in his dictionary, despite the amount of times he has heard it from her. He often stalks her, sometimes he slips up and she spots him, other times he's able to wait until the proper moment before exposing himself. Either way, the end result is always the same, he asks her out to some cheap restaurant and she tells him no.

"My my Serena, how beautiful you look today" He said suavely, as he strutted up to her.

While his outer expression is a smile that matches his tone, inside he's deciding on how to begin his plan, should he simply make his demands, or does this require a little more… Finesse?

Within seconds his decision has been made, he'll offer her one final chance. If she refuses, then what happens next will be on her head, his conscience will be clear.

"What do you fucking want?" She spat darkly. "If you're here to ask me out again, the answer is the same as it has been for the past thousand times. No" Despite her definitive tone, he continues to smile at her. Rage burns inside her, forcing further words to bubble and rise inside her. "I wasn't fucking interested when you first asked me. I wasn't interested the next thousand times you asked. I won't be interested no matter how many times you ask. I'll _never_ want you Calem"

Her harsh words force the suave look of seduction from his face, leaving a cold glare in its place. He doesn't respond to her, having nothing to say, he just stares at her. His eyes pass over the curves of her body, stirring up arousal in his pants.

Something isn't right here, he's planning something, she can see it in his eyes. His normal arrogance and confidence aren't there; she can only see a dark hunger in their dull surface. Fear creeps up her spine, forming a lump in her throat, which cannot be swallowed.

Calem tilts his head to the side curiously; just as she can see what he feels in his eyes, he can see fear in hers. A dark smirk falls across his face, one that forces a weight of terror onto Serena's shoulders, causing her to visibly tremble.

"I-I-I'm going now… Don't follow me" She didn't mean to stutter, it was her intention to sound strong, but that is the way it came out. Her thoughts turn to finding the quickest route back to town, the longer she's alone here with him, the more danger she's in.

Her blood runs cold as realisation hits her hard. Calem's blocking the quickest route back. Sure there are other routes she could take, but he'll be able to beat her to the path, leaving her in the same situation she's in now. Why didn't she bring her Pokémon? Why does she always leave them back home whenever she comes here?

Coming here alone and without telling anyone just where she was going, might have been a mistake that'll cost her far more than she bargained for.

Her lungs draw in a deep calming breath, she'll have to go past him sooner or later, if she does it now then it's done. Over and forgotten about. She steels her courage, if being friends with Lily for all these years has done anything for her, it's teach her how to face unpleasant things head on. She forces herself to step forwards, again and again; every step brings her closer to the safety of her home.

His eyes remain fixed on her as she makes her way closer to him, fixed on her with that same dark smirk across his face. "I wouldn't do that if I were you"

His words force her to halt at his side, before hesitantly asking what he means by that. His response is to simply stare at her, without saying a word. The Aura of intimidation he is producing is becoming too much for her to handle, she needs to get away from him as quickly as possible.

She resumes her journey out of the forest, trying to force him from her thoughts. Despite her best efforts, she can't help but ponder the changes in his behaviour as of late. "He's getting worse. Bolder. Creepier. Maybe Daddy should know what he's doing; he might be able to scare him off. Hell he's done it god knows ho-"

 **BANG!**

Her thoughts are shattered by the distinctive sound of a gunshot. She could feel the air being torn around her face, the bullet was dangerously close to her, it could have hit. The splintered wood of the tree next to her reveals just how close it was to hitting her. A few inches to the left, and her skull would have been pierced by the burning hot lead.

"That's why" He hissed.

Slowly she turns around, terrified beyond imagining of him now, to see a smoking steel revolver aimed towards her chest. The trigger of this deadly weapon is being teased and rubbed, by the itching index finger of Calem's right hand.

She stands frozen in place, her eyes shrinking and her breathing growing shallow, petrified beyond recognition. She knew he was a pervert, but a thief as well? "I-I-I-I've not got my purse with me" She babbled. "B-b-b-but I've got my H-H-H-H-Holocas-s-ster. It's yours, just let me go"

With a slow shake of his head, her question is answered. "I don't want your money. I have plenty of money" He said calmly.

Her fear grows stronger, if he's not robbing her then what is he doing?! Does he just want to kill her? Why didn't he do it when he had the chance? There must be something else he wants. But what?

Despite her fear, she's able to deduce that his weapon still has five out of six shots left, and all it'll take is one to end her life.

"If y-y-you don't want money… What do you want from me?" She weakly asked, not truly wanting to know the answer.

His smirk grows wider, revealing his sparkling teeth. "You've been denying me for years… Well not anymore. It's time for me to get what I want. Whether you want to give it to me or not"

It hits her. He never intended to rob her or even just scare her; he's going to rape her.

Sweat trickles down her body, born from the terror that now binds her, preventing her from making a run for it. "You don't have to do this; we can pretend it never happened. I swear I won't tell anyone, it'll be like it never happened"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His cold laughter sends chills down her spine. "Yeah… That's not goanna happen. I'm in charge now, and you're goanna do what I say. If you resist or try to run away, I'll put a bullet in ya… It's up to you, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way"

Tears sting her eyes, as the gravity of the situation hits her, it hits her hard. There's no way she can escape, he's got five shots left, what're the odds _all_ of them will miss her? Even if she does run, he'll shoot her down before she's able to get back to safety.

"Please Calem" She pleaded, as her tears fall from her eyes. "I don't want this, please just let me go. I'll get you anything you want, just le-"

A second shot from his weapon both silences her and crushes any resistance she had left. "That was your last warning. The next one goes in your heart" He said with cold satisfaction, as though he's hoping she'll give him an excuse to do it.

Her tears fall freely, dampening her cheeks and leaving her beautiful eyes swollen and red. There's gotta be something she can do… But what can she do? He has a weapon and in a place like this she can't exactly scream for help, no one'd hear her… She's trapped.

While she contemplates a possible escape, he makes his way closer to her, with his gun aimed squarely at her heart. One squeeze and she'd die. The sense of power that comes from holding a firearm, it's unparalleled. "I hold the power of life and death, in the palm of my hand" He thought.

Knowing that he's staring at her, as though she's nothing but a piece of meat, makes her feel sick to her stomach. She's had men leering at her lustfully before, while she has on occasion enjoyed people looking at her like she's beautiful, there is no joy to be had from this. Only pain.

She tries to back away from him, but inadvertently backs into a tree, stopping her from prolonging the inevitable any further. Her tender, painful eyes clamp shut as the distance between them closes. She can hear his breath falling from his lips, smell it and feel it against her own lips.

"You made the right choice, this way I won't have to fuck a corpse" He hissed demonically.

A few stray locks of her hair cover her face, shielding her from him. His fingers roughly push them away and out of his way, coaxing more tears from her in doing so. "You're a good girl" He hissed, before sloppily kissing her neck.

The feeling of his lips against her flesh, combined with the disgusting touch of his spit, makes her skin crawl under her clothes and the food in her belly rise. She wants to vomit, to scream and for the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Anything is better than this.

The feeling of hot steel being pressed into her temple reminds her of his weapon, while anything may be better than this; she lacks the courage needed to face death. His free hand crawls across the curves of her hourglass like body, his every grunt of pleasure forces her to gag in disgust. If it wasn't for the literal gun to her head, she'd kick him in the nuts and run. But sudden movements will trigger a knee jerk response from him, one which will likely end with her death. Curse her cowardice.

The pain from his claw like fingers digging into the tender flesh of her ass, adds pain to the growing pool of unpleasant sensations, that are gnawing away at her soul. His breath stinks of alcohol; he probably needed something to give him the guts to go through with this. His heavy, lust filled breath makes her feel filthy, so filthy that not even the hottest of water could ever cleanse her.

"You want this as much as I do" He hissed. "And you know it" She tries to cry silently, but a muffled whimper escapes the confines of her lips. "Say you want me… SAY IT!" He barked, while pressing the gun into her temple harder.

Her every fibre wants to say no, she doesn't want him, she wants to go home. But she can't, her fear won't let her. "I… I want you" She cried, forcing a verbal blade into her heart.

The feeling of his tongue against her cheek revolts her; he's licking her tears away, tasting them as well as her fear. "Good girl…" He whispered lustfully. He was wrong, there's no greater sense of power, than forcing a woman to do what he wants.

There's no greater thrill, than raping a defenceless woman.

His thoughts of power are interrupted, by unforeseen tremors in the earth's bowls. While these miniature quakes lack the power to force either of them to tremble, they are strong enough to force powerful vibrations through both of their legs.

Countless questions form in his mind and fall from his lips, he absent mindedly pulls himself away from her, asking what the cause of the vibrations is. Serena hears each of his questions and feels the tremors in the earth, but cares for neither of them.

All she can think of is escaping him, of surviving what he intends to do to her. He may spare her life, but what will the act of rape do to her mind? To her soul? She may draw breath, but she will be dead inside.

She must find a way to keep herself alive, she must survive this evil. "I've gotta be strong. I can't stop him, but I can keep myself together, I _won't_ let him win" She thought bravely and with determination.

Deciding he has wasted enough time thinking about this anomaly, he forces the thoughts and questions to the back of his mind. To satisfy his curiosity, and truly end its hold over him, he tells himself that the tremors are just the aftershock of a battle.

His free hand once again clasps onto the soft rump of Serena, groping her flesh and searching for the zipper that holds her skirt up. "Stop it… Please stop it" She whimpered without thought.

To her immeasurable surprise, the pain from his fingers pressed into her soft flesh vanishes. His true intentions become clear however, when he claws into her tender face and hisses like a demon.

The fresh pain coaxes further wails from her, born from her terror and disgust of this man. "Stop it" He hissed in a commanding voice. "STOP IT! You love this and you know it"

Despite his commands, she continues to cry. Her delicate ivory skin is flushed with blood, as bruises begin to form at the tips of his fingers. When will this nightmare end? When will he just rape her and get it over with? Why must he torture her like this?

"You better fucking do as I say, or I'll do _far_ worse than take your virginity from you" He spat. The sight of her tears both exhilarates and perturbs him. He has complete control over her now, he can do anything he wants to her and she can't do anything about it… And yet, he cannot stop her from crying. While the fear from these tears is the source of his sick thrill, the whimpers and cries are a real mood killer.

Anger replaces his joy for a moment, how dare she keep crying. He ordered her to stop it! Fuelled by this new found furry, he slams the butt of his revolver across her head. With a yelp of surprise and pain, her tears stream down her face, stronger than ever. They are quickly joined by a thick crimson fluid, trickling down from her hairline, which is now clumped against her skin and also stained. Her blood runs down her face, far slower than her tears.

The pain from his claw like fingers, clamping onto her face once again returns, as he yanks her back up to face him. "You belong to me now. You're _my_ property! I _own_ you! That means you'll… WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SMELL?!"

The force of what smells like a thousand different stenches combined, burns away the delicate hairs inside their noses, leaving them nothing but cinders. Calem's eyes water from the power of the stench, which he can bear no longer. In a desperate attempt to ease the burning in his nose, he clutches it tightly. "There must be a Stunky nearby" He weakly rasped.

Despite the power of this stench, the overpowering pain it causes, Serena couldn't care less about it. It's not like a smell can force him to leave her alone, it can't save her from what comes next, nothing can. All she can do is try to prepare herself, prepare herself for the violation that is soon to come.

The power of the stench can only go so far, after a moment Calem's able to bear the brunt of it and continue his sexual assault. His hand finally finds the zipper to her skirt, with the space of a second, it is undone. The thin fabric falls to her ankles, exposing her pink panties to him and the world. With a demonic hiss, he orders her to kick it away. Seeing no other choice, she does as he commands, kicking her clothes away and leaving herself exposed and vulnerable.

Feeling these terrible feelings, along with humiliation and used, she breaks down into a fit of quiet sobs. Her pleas for mercy and for release do nothing but make him more determined to continue, his hungry eyes fix themselves onto her underwear, onto the cherry that they conceal. He seeks what they shield, but why should he rush this? He can afford to take his time, it's not as though something's goanna just appear and save her, or he's on a time constraint.

No. He'll take his time, enjoying every moment of it. "Nothing's goanna stop me now…" He whispered it what could be a seductive tone. "I'm finally going to get what I _so_ deserve"

His clammy hand presses onto the delicate flesh of her exposed stomach, roughly grinding against her bellybutton, leaving the beginnings of bruises behind. The touch of his skin against hers sickens her beyond measure, she thought his lips against her neck was grotesque, then she felt his tongue on her cheek… That was by far the worst thing she's ever felt, pain is actually preferable to that.

Now he's touching her belly, slowly snaking his way up to her breasts, it makes everything he's done until now seem like nothing… "The worst part is, he's only just starting… He's goanna take my innocence from me" She thought, with both tears and blood, running down her face.

The flow of thoughts through her mind is shattered, as she feels he has reached his targets. Through her thin bra, he claws at her breasts, grunting and groaning as his cock grows longer and harder in his pants. While he may have decided to take his time with his prey, he'll still enjoy her untouched body.

Pulling his hand free from the confines of her clothes, he tugs at the buttons that hold her belly top shut, concealing her chest from the perverted eyes of the world. After a moment, that felt like eternity, he exposes her pink bra as well as her ample D cup breasts.

The hungry eyes of this sexual assaulter ravage her innocent body, while his gun plants itself into her gut. "This is your final warning. Try anything funny, and I'll put four bullets in you"

She dares not move a muscle; he might take it as a sign of resistance. There's no way she'd ever give him permission to do any of this to her, the only man who could ever touch her like this, is the man who stole her heart… But right now she doesn't have a choice, but to let him have his way for now. Even if death is better than this, she lacks the courage to make it so.

While she makes no sounds or movements, to him she is making an obvious declaration of submission. One which he will not ignore. Within seconds, he has her ample cleavage pulled free from the confines of her bra, exposing her limp and soft pink nipples to the cool air. While her breasts have been pulled to freedom, her bra still lifts and holds them up high, from underneath their perky form.

Words can never describe the level of violation and humiliation she has experienced today; he has stolen her dignity and now intends to take her innocence. The fleshy barrier that is her hymen, is not only what defines her as a virgin, but is a symbol that she is pure. Some believe this barrier should only be pierced under the binding of marriage, this old fashioned tradition means nothing to her, but what does matter is who pierces it. Who takes her virginity. Who 'corrupts her' as her Dad would say…

There is only one who she would willingly give herself to, the man who has occupied her fantasies for years. "Red… I'm sorry; I wanted my first time to be with you"

To try an ease the pain that is to come, she attempts to shut off the feeling in her body, to disconnect her conscious mind from her nervous system. This may seem bizarre, but right now she's a desperate woman, desperate to bury her mind in the deepest recesses of her soul, to her happy place. "I'm not in a forest being violated by Calem… I'm safe and away from his evil"

Even her attempts to find the one place that can make her truly happy, cannot shield her from the disgust and filth he plasters over her, with just a touch of his hand against her chest. More than this though, he continues to claw her breasts and even twists her nipples.

His hand only causes her pain, her friends have described the joys of having a man do these things to their bodies, Lily is by far the most graphic… But she feels no joy. No pleasure. No happiness. Only pain, humiliation, violation and disgust.

That is all Serena Yvonne feels, at this, her first sexual encounter. Perhaps it would be better if she cared for the man who she shares it with. If it was her lover and not her rapist, who touched her and rubbed her sensitive skin like this.

While she tries to hide away inside herself, he manhandles that which holds the focus of his perverted desires. Before she's able to find a place to hide in, he changes tactics, switching from her fleshy globes to her bone dry panties. Hooking his thumb into their edge, he pulls them down with a single sharp tug, exposing a small bush of short and curly honey blonde hairs.

With every second that goes by, the foul stench grows stronger and stronger, burning their eyes and destroying their senses of smell from the inside out. Serena barely feels it anymore, the pain from Calem's actions blinds her to the stench, but the same cannot be said for him. His gritted teeth and waterlogged eyes testify to the effects of the unbearable stench.

Despite the overpowering affects, he refuses to allow this distraction to affect his performance. The barrel of his gun once again finds its way to her temple, allowing his hand to replace itself against her stomach, before slowly creeping its way down to her exposed womanhood.

Her tears leak through her tightly shut eyes, dripping down her face to mix with her blood and drop to the earth. This is it. The final barrier has been stripped from her, now there's nothing stopping him… For the first time in her life, she truly wants it all to end. She wants everything to end. She wants to give in and surrender.

" _Never surrender"_

The voice of her childhood crush forces its way through the negative emotions and the pain, to whisper in her ear and deliver a much needed glimmer of hope. Her focus shifts to this voice, allowing her to finally ignore what he is doing to her.

" _Now you listen to me, I may be gone but I'll always be there for you… I swear on my blood, if you ever need me, I'll be there for you. Call when you have need of me, ask what you will of me, I'll always be there for you… Always"_

A vision of Red, as she remembers him, flashes before her mind's eye. His hand is held out to her, offering her help, just like he did when they were children. _"Never surrender Serena, no matter what"_

With his message delivered, he lets go of his physical form, to become a swirling torrent of brilliant red light. This new form of her oldest friend and crush flows around her, lifting away her pain and negativity, like a candy wrapper caught in the wind.

Warmth flows from this light, mimicking the warmth of body heat. She can feel it passing across her flesh, like a pair of strong arms pulling her in for a comforting embrace. In an instant she understands, she knows what he meant by those words all those years ago.

All she needs to do is call for him, and he will come. He swore an oath to defend and protect her, and he will keep it, no matter what.

In the time it takes for the human eye to blink, this oddity both begins and comes to an end. Her eyes bolt open, sparkling and shinning like never before. What was previously fear and humiliation, is now a deep blue glow.

An aqua blue glow bursts through her flesh, drawn from the deepest depths of her soul and forced to the surface, to swallow her body in its bright shine. The hand of Calem freezes in place, the sight of her Aura has him petrified. Now he is the one who dares not move.

"Red" She whispered. A pulse of blue Aura runs down her slender body, before dissipating into the plant life around her feet. "I need help" With these words a second, more powerful pulse of Aura crashes into the ground and crawls along the earth.

"RED! I NEED HELP! I NEED YOU NOW! P-P-P-P-PLLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEE HELP ME!" She wailed, sending countless more pulses through the earth in all directions at once. These pulses of Aura search the woodlands for her, looking for something that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

As quickly as it came, her power vanishes, taking the glow and the unusual colouring to her eyes with it. The empowering emotions vanish with the power, allowing her previous feelings to return, just as strong as they were before.

For a moment Calem silently stares at her, unable to comprehend just how she was able to do whatever she just did. "How did you do that?" His voice trembles ever so slightly, under the weight of his fear. "WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DO THAT?!"

Once again petrified of him, Serena cowers against the trunk of the tree, unable to answer him, simply because there is no answer to give. She knows it was her Aura, but nothing else. "I-I-I don't k-know… I swear" She whimpered.

Anger burns across his face, reducing his fear and confusion to ashes. "LIAR!" Fuelled by rage, he raises his gun to strike her yet again. Before he can act on his rage, he is stopped by the sound of a bone chilling, ear splitting and blood curdling roar, echoing through the forest.

The roar reverberates through the countless trees, augmenting its power and making it impossible to tell where it is coming from.

Acting on the fear that's running down his spine, Calem reflexively turns his gun to the treeline, searching for whatever made that ungodly sound. "WHO'S THERE?!" He screamed, with wide eyes a sweat covered face. "THIS ISN'T A FUCKING PORNO! TAKE YOUR POKEMON AND FUCK OFF!"

A second roar responds to him, but this one lacks the power and rage of the last. Regardless, it still sends terror down both their spines. _"BOSS SLOW DOWN! I CAN'T MOVE AS QUICK AS YOU IN HERE!"_ These words carry across the forest, sounding inaudible to human ears.

Serena's exposed, naked and violated body trembles uncontrollably. Those roars came from something very powerful, more powerful than anything that's supposed to be here. That could be very good, or very bad. Depending on who it is that's in here with them.

Calem's pale grey eyes fail to detect anything in the treeline, no signs of life or movement. Despite what his senses tell him, he knows something's here… A roar like that doesn't come from nothing or something small.

When it reveals itself, he'll need his gun to fight it off. He's only got four shots left, and he didn't bring any extra ammo with him… He can't afford to waste any shots on Serena; he'll have to switch to his backup plan. Pocketing his revolver, he pulls out the knife he previously hid under his shirt.

The handle is firm to the touch, allowing its wielder to grasp tightly, without fear of causing damage. Almost obsidian like in colouring, it contrasts the silver colouring of the blade well. The serrated back and razor sharp edge are the aspects to fear, capable of gliding through flesh without resistance. An engraving along the edge testifies as to the metal that forms the blade, reading "Tungsten-Carbide"

Serena's quiet contemplation of the sounds, which still echo through the woods, is forced to an abrupt end. A gleam of silver catches her eye, as it passes dangerously close to her face. The silver shine darkens as it passes by her, becoming deep crimson, telling her that it has somehow drawn blood.

Yet she feels no pain, only a strange heat, one that is slowly crawling down her face.

Her hand gingerly rises to touch this, while not unpleasant, unwelcome source of warmth. To her immense confusion, she feels a gap in her flesh, with a thick fluid flowing from it. Her slender fingers pass along this gap, measuring it to be two inches in length. Did he just cut her?

A sharp pang of pain answers her silent question. Her knees give out under her own weight, dropping her to the ground with a soft thud. She clutches the wound, trying her hardest to stem the flow of blood. Her tears are now able to mix with more blood, thinning it down and making it easier for it to flow. More than this, their salty touch aggravates the gash, making the pain worse.

"Look at me. LOOK AT ME!" He ordered.

For fear of being hurt yet again, she hesitantly lifts her head, inadvertently locking her eyes onto his in the process. "No one'll want an _ugly_ scarred bitch!" He barked. "I'm all you've got now. So you're goanna listen to me, or I'll give you a real reason to cry"

"Sc-scars won't ma-make me ugly… They'll make me beautiful" She cried, looking her attacker dead in the eye. "A friend taught me that… A long time ago… He was-"

Her moment of courage is broken, along with her nose, as the free hand of Calem forces her face into his left knee repeatedly. With every slam, the sound of crunching bone hits their senses of hearing. With every blow, he spouts a different insult. With every strike, more of her blood bathes her face and adds to her pain.

Finally he is finished, once her nose has been broken beyond repair. If it ever has the chance to heal, it'll never be what it once was, along with her other wounds, it'll form a scar by which she will be forced to remember this day.

"Shut the fuck up!" He spat, as he forced her head back. "Suck my dick. Now"

Her once beautiful face has been defiled, forever stained crimson. The intense pain surging through her flesh has stolen her voice from her, forcing her to respond with a shake of her head. Silently refusing to perform felashio on him.

A second slash of his blade frees more of her precious blood, and effectively returns her voice to her, in time for her to wail in pain. A second gash, across her already damaged face, allows her blood to drip down her flesh and fall to her exposed chest. Every breath of air she takes, forces her breasts to jiggle and spread the blood further.

Calem's anger filled scowl darkens, without realising it, his fingers coil tighter around his blade. How dare she refuse him. He's in control here, he's calling the shots. If he wanted to, he could easily kill her. She's at his mercy!

"So you've still got a little fight left. That's OK, I'll beat it out of you" He spat, as he raised his blade high again.

Reflexively she cowers down, trying to shield her face from the impending strike.

Suddenly, a strange sight catches his eye and enthrals his attention. In the darkness of the woodlands a pair of bright, blood red lights is moving through the trees, at quite an alarming pace. "What the fuck?"

As the lights draw closer, the sound of what could only be called a deep growl hits both of their ears, the distinctive sound of rage. The hand of Calem, which still holds the knife, slowly lowers to his side once again. "Are those… Eyes?"

Driven by curiosity, Serena cautiously turns her head, to try and see what has him so enthralled. Before she's able to see what holds his interest so fiercely, a fist bursts through the treeline and collides with his face. Shattering his nose and forcing blood to escape through his nostrils. His fingers lose their strength, and his blade falls to the earth, bouncing once before coming to a stop.

Thick brown filth has encased this tightly clenched fist, so much so that the skin beneath it cannot clearly be seen. The strength behind this mighty blow forces Calem to the ground, clutching his broken nose as his blood empties out of it, like a foist.

The sapphire eyes of Serena widen, as she stares at the brute of a man who has just come to her rescue. He falls through the treeline, his arm still sailing through the air, the same way a Mega Punch is thrown.

His skin is covered in a thick layer of, what could only be called filth. Some parts of his flesh are darker than others, leading to the conclusion that it is not his natural skin tone, but rather dirt or perhaps mud. Whatever it is, it covers his clothes too. A black jacket that barely fits him covers his torso, many holes lie across its surface, likely caused by the fact that it is clearly too small for him. From the waist down, he wears tatty and torn up jeans, they also appear to be black, but the dirt makes it difficult to tell their exact colour. His long hair slowly drops through the air, down to meet his back. In length it rivals that of Serena's, but unlike hers, his is filled with plant life, lumps of god only knows what, and what could be ashes. It seems to be brown, but it's so greasy it's difficult to tell. A thick, full beard that reaches his chest drapes down from his face and chin. It's extremely matted, looking as though it has never been washed before. Hidden in the depths of this greasy facial hair, is what could be described as half eaten food.

Serena's first thought is that he's homeless, that he doesn't have any means of maintaining personal hygiene. But right now such thoughts are unimportant, he's come to her aid and looks to be strong, that's what's important now, not what he looks like.

The man, who looks as though he's never heard of hygiene, catches himself before he's able to join Calem in lying in the dirt. His eyes lock onto the face of the only other male in the clearing; his lips curl into his gums as a deep and rage filled snarl is forced from his stomach. Calem writhes around in the earth and fallen petals, swearing like a lumberjack who hacked off a leg.

Serena remains ignorant to his pain however; her eyes have been enthralled by what she sees in her saviour. Now he is standing tall, she can make an educated guess as to his towering height. To the best of her ability, she measures him to be well over six foot! His frame is built large to go with this titanic height, yet there isn't an ounce of fat on him, he looks to be pure muscle. His powerful arms look like tree trunks, by comparison to both hers and her attacker's. But these extremities are not what hold her interest so tightly.

His eyes are burning like miniature fire pits in his skull, shinning like blood red beacons in a dark night's sea. His hands appear human, with an exception. Where he should have fingernails, he has a set of two inch long, curved talons. His canine teeth are far longer than they should be, if his lips where shut; they'd still protrude past them.

The sight of this humanoid creature sparks both hope and fear in her soul, he's obviously here to protect her, otherwise he'd have attacked her by now. But there's something about him, it's like there's an Aura of anger surrounding him. With his sheer size and build, he could easily do them both major harm; he might even be capable of beating them to death.

Her thoughts come to an abrupt end, as a streak of blood splatters across her face. The enraged male slashes his talons out at Calem's exposed chest, slicing through his shirt and slashing his skin open, sending five streaks of crimson across the petals and Serena.

His screams of pain echo throughout the forest, the look of horror across his face magnifies as he tries to stem the flow of blood from his chest. His eyes rise to meet the face of his attacker, the snarl across his lips is broken, as his jaws open wide to reveal his fangs.

In a desperate attempt to escape the impending strike, Calem kicks his legs out wildly, hoping to hit him in the balls. While many of his strikes miss their mark, some manage to land a hit. The man barely even feels his prey's attempts at defence; he's too deep in his rage to be stopped now.

With a sickening clamp of his jaws, he sinks his teeth into Calem's left side, and begins to shake him from side to side. A blood curdling scream of both shock and pain drown out the echo of his previous cries, as the male shakes him from side to side, trying to rip a chunk of flesh off from the whole. The pink and white petals are forever stained with blood, as they rise and fall through the air.

With every shake, Calem feels his flesh rip further; it won't be long before this _thing_ rips him to pieces. In a feeble attempt to recover his lost weapon, he thumps around the earth, grasping at whatever his fingers find. With a stroke of luck, he locates his lost weapon and begins slashing out wildly, hoping against hope to hit his attacker.

The cold steel of his blade glides through the flesh of his enemy, before colliding with bone, stronger than the surface of a boulder. From the wound he has just dealt his attacker, crimson blood leaks onto his flesh.

The jaws of the unknown male loosen, before releasing their hold over their prey completely. A howl of pain forces blood from the stranger's mouth and into his beard, adding its colouring to his greasy facial hair.

The would be rapist clutches his wounded side with a single hand, as he uses the other to pull himself away from the one who was chewing on his flesh. Before he's able to pull himself more than a foot away, the talons of the enraged male sink into his flesh yet again and hurl him into a nearby tree.

Severe pain in the man's leg forces him down to one knee, clutching his thigh, where the blade is still firmly stabbed into his flesh. Blood oozes out from his wound, mixing with the blood from his enemy across his fingers and talons.

With a squeak of fear, Serena's hands clamp over her mouth, muffling her squeak and breaking her petrification in a heartbeat. The sight of blood soaking her protector's hands terrifies her; he's hurt and needs medical attention.

Deciding that the blade has been in his flesh for long enough, he rips it clean out of his leg and plunges it into the trunk of a tree. Blood erupts from the wound, spurting out like a fountain across the earth. Judging by the strength of the flow, Calem must have severed an artery. A death sentence. Unless he gets help _very_ soon, he'll be dead in a matter of minutes.

As the battered and mauled man rises from the earth, the sound of spurting blood spurs him to steal a glance at its source. To his great delight and immense relief, his attacker is struggling to stem the flow of life giving fluid from his leg.

A mixture of emotions swells within him, pride being the strongest and most noteworthy. With a single strike he has sentence this man to death, luck certainly guided his blade, but in the end it doesn't matter. A severed artery is a death sentence to anyone; ironically, luck is the only thing that could possibly save him now.

Luck is what dealt him this wound, and luck is his only hope for survival. How ironic.

"You're nothing but a savage! No one's goanna miss you, when you're dead. You'll rot here, alone forever!" He hissed from the earth.

The blood soaked face of the unidentified male rises, his snarl returns, deeper than ever. His eyes fix onto those of the one who wounded him, burning brighter in his skull. Bright pulses of red light spread from his hands across his thigh, focusing onto the wound. Both Calem and Serena are able to see it, but neither of them can believe it.

"Is he using his Aura?" She thought. "Have I been rescued by a Knight?"

The pulses of red light begin work their magic on his flesh, the open wound begins to close, easing the flow of blood. After a moment, the pulses cease their flow, leaving the previous wound nothing but a deep cut with only a few drops of blood across its surface. While his wound hasn't been fully healed, it's enough to save his life and that's all he needs right now.

As the pulses finish healing his wound as best they can, Calem pulls out his gun once again and shakily aims it at the male's chest. The pain from his injuries is taking its toll on him, his arm won't hold steady.

Burning blood red eyes lift their sight from the wound, to capture the image of a steel revolver aimed into their owner's chest. He stares at the weapon for a moment, as though assessing its strength, before staring into the eyes of his prey. "Do it. Shoot me. You better pray that gun has enough power to kill me in one shot though" He snarled.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! YOU CAN TALK?!" Calem screamed, like a five year old girl. "Y-y-y-you're just a m-m-m-mindl-l-l-less savage… How can you fucking talk?!"

The half-naked Serena fails to hear the cowardly cries of her attacker; her attention is firmly fixed on the man who just spoke, whose voice sounds eerily familiar to her. Like she's heard it before, long ago, back when she was a little girl. He doesn't look like anyone she'd know though, never before has she met a thug… Well except her Dad, but he doesn't count.

The bloodthirsty snarl of man echoes through the forest, breaking her thoughts. "I'm not a savage. I'm a Monster" His head snaps to the left, as a smirk falls across his face. "A Monster with a _very_ hungry friend"

Following his eye, both Serena and Calem gasp at the sight before them. A massive orange dragon stands between the trees, barely able to fit. From his belly down to the end of his tail, his scally skin is creamish. The tip of his tail holds a fiercely burning flame, illuminating the forest behind him. A pair of large wings are held tightly against his back, allowing him to move around in this dense woodland. This titan of a Pokémon is a Charizard, the fully evolved form of the Kanto Starter Charmander.

His long tongue rolls across his lips, leaving a shine across his orange scales. His eye is firmly fixed on Calem, as his mind ponders the flavour of his flesh.

The average Charizard will reach heights of 5 foot 7 when it reaches maturity, but this male has cleared that height, standing approximately 7 feet off the ground. To go with this towering height, this male looks to be twice the size of any normal member of his species.

As a species Charizard have large stomachs, this allows them to eat enough food, and thus gain enough energy, to supply their aggressive nature and strength. Naturally their bellies are larger than what most would consider normal, to hold this enlarged digestive system. But this male before them carries a much larger stomach, almost like a beer belly.

The reason, he eats too much and doesn't get enough exercise. He's simply fat. Even with his above average size, his stomach carries too much excess blubber. Past the sheer size of his belly, powerful muscles reside all across his body; clearly he trains hard on a regular basis. Evidence of the battles he has fought in resides across his body, multiple slash scars stand out across his scaly hide.

The deepest and most prominent scar resides across his face, which holds only the one scar.

A large X has been carved into his left eyeball and surrounding flesh, leaving the organ nothing but a white ball with indentations, blind to the world around it. There is more to testify to his strength than his battle worn body however, his other features stand out to the eye. His fangs, claws and talons are all far longer and sharper than they should be. They're all designed for the tearing and ripping of flesh, human and Pokémon alike. Finally, his scaly skin is soaked with sweat, making his muscular frame shimmer in what little light there is. Combined with his heavy breathing, and there stands an exhausted Pokémon.

The one good eye of this titian is firmly fixed on the gut of Calem. _"Food… Hurry up and rip him open, I'm hungry"_ He growled as he continued to lick his lips.

Both Calem and Serena are petrified of this gargantuan dragon, and rightly so, he's obviously powerful and has the means to kill them both without much effort. Based on his size and strength, he must be what made that ungodly roar earlier.

" _I'm sick of waiting, I'm hungry now"_ He growled. He takes a step forwards, sending miniature tremors through the earth as he does. _"Hmm… Do I kill you first, or should I just eat you alive?"_

With a stomp of his own foot, the unidentified male catches the attention of his partner Pokémon. A powerful roar bursts through his lips, so loud and strong that it forces Serena to cover her ears; to try and block it out enough, to stop it hurting her ears.

This bone chilling, blood curdling roar echoes throughout the woodlands, terrifying the local wildlife and forcing them to flee in fear. It becomes painfully clear to both Serena and Calem, that this man is the one who made that first roar. Not Charizard.

The great lumbering dragon of Fire returns to his position between the trees, bowing his head slightly and looking into the burning eyes of his trainer. With a nod of his head, he silently tells him to stop the roaring; he'll do as he says _"Fine. You have your fun first"_ He begrudgingly grumbled.

The man with the burning red eyes stops his roar, exchanging it for a deep growl, despite his Charizard's submission to him, he won't drop his guard. He knows him too well for that.

Charizard raises his head to normal height, before leaning up against one of the trees he's found refuge between. The massive plant creaks and trembles under the strain of his weight, but holds strong enough for him to relax. _"That was a_ _long_ _ass flight"_ He groaned with a yawn, before turning back to face the one he hoped to kill. _"You know not what you have done shithead. Pissing off a mother fucking Monster, not a good idea. Kiss your ass goodbye"_ With a snort of smoke, he shuts his eyes and relaxes.

The sapphire blue eyes of Serena widen at the sight of him, he's easily the biggest Charizard she's ever seen, granted he's only the second she's ever seen, but he's still the biggest. Judging by his battle worn body, he's been in a _lot_ of battles, win or lose, battling always makes a Charizard stronger.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Calem screamed, like a child once again.

A faint grin falls across Charizard's face, while his eye stays shut. _"I need a nap"_ He yawned again.

The snarl of his trainer deepens, drawing in the attention of the half-naked woman and forcing the petrified eyes of the would be rapist to turn to him. "That _thing_ is my brother. No one insults his fat ass, but _ME!_ "

His roar sends strings of spit fling through the air and into the face of Calem. "I'll enjoy stripping the flesh from your bones. No one hurts my friends and lives. SAY GOODNIGHT!" The man roared.

Friends? Did he just call Serena his friend? That one word has left her stunned, he spoke as if he knows her… He called her friend. Why? Does she know him after all? He doesn't look familiar, does he?

His eyes… They're glowing blood red. That's not a human eye colour, but if he's a Knight then he could make them glow like that. Still, there's something familiar about them. As though she's seen this glow before.

"I-I-I-I-I have f-f-four shots left. I'll use them all if I have to" Calem warned. The gun in his hand continues to tremble, now from a mixture of pain and fear.

Her trail of thought is broken by this weak threat, as fear stabs through her heart. No. Calem can't shoot him!

Why? Why is she so afraid of him being shot? Yes he's come to her rescue, but he's obviously disturbed and in need of professional help, at the end of the day she doesn't even know who he is. So why is she so afraid that he'll die?

The face of the man in question holds no fear, only rage and confidence. The threat of being shot doesn't seem to be affecting him. "So do it then. I fucking dare you. SHOOT ME!" He bellowed, as he took a single step forwards.

Terror runs down the spine of Calem, flowing through his body and into his hand. His mind doesn't have time to think, before his finger squeezes the trigger.

The excruciating sound of a gunshot shatters the world of sound for Serena, leaving her in complete silence. Time seems to slow down for her, as she watches a burst of fire explode from the barrel of his revolver. A lump of lead bursts through the flames, splitting the air around it in two, before driving itself into the chest of her protector.

Calem's face turns ghostly pale, as what he has done hits him. He's fired many guns before, even killed Pokémon with them, but he's never shot another human being before. It feels… Great, like when he stabbed him with his knife.

As the bullet drives itself into the man's chest, the force behind it surges through his body, forcing him to stumble back a step. The pain from such a tiny hunk of lead slamming into the left side of his chest forces a small howl of pain from his lips.

His eyes burn brighter, his lips curl into his gums to snarl darkly, and he snorts out every breath he takes. "Big mistake. If you shoot a Monster, you better kill it"

The dragon of Fire lazily opens his eye, before scoffing slightly. _"Just fucking rip him open already! I'M HUNGRY!"_

Serena's sapphire blue eyes widen in disbelief, are they playing tricks on her? Did he really just get shot in the lung and talk? He can't be… But, there's a hole in his jacket and no blood, so he must have been… Wait, why is there no blood?

The male, who has been shot, resumes his walk towards his prey, slowly closing the distance between himself and his prey. His glowing eyes are fixed firmly onto those of the one who tried to kill him, drilling their way into his mind and into his soul. Every step he takes fills his target with more fear, and sends shivers up Serena's spine. He's walking like he hasn't got a bullet in his lung.

Countless questions form in Calem's mind, who is this guy? Why are his eyes so strange? How the fuck does he have talons and fangs? Why did he bite him? HOW THE FUCK IS HE STILL STANDING?!

Rather than waste more time asking questions, he pulls the trigger once again. The bullet once again drives itself into the man's chest, earning a grunt of pain and a deeper snarl. This time he's ready for it, so he doesn't stumble, he just carries on. Just like last time, there's a hole in his jacket but no blood.

While no blood leaks from his body, burning red flames do. These unusually coloured flames burn across his body, leaving no wounds behind. His clothes and hair remain untouched by them, it's as though the fire doesn't need fuel to burn. These flames are by no means strong enough to be called an inferno, but they are still there, making him shine like a fallen angel, or a demon risen from Hell.

The flames burning over his right arm are different to the rest though, above his elbow there are threads of black fire burning.

Indescribable joy bursts out from Serena's heart and into her entire being; a broad smile is born across her face. She's seen these flames before, when she was a little girl… This guy's got brown hair, red Aura, a Charizard who he called brother and most of all; he called her his friend…

"Red?" She whispered, daring to hope her childhood crush has come to her rescue when she needed him the most.

While the man fails to answer her, his Charizard does. He snickers to himself, before turning his attention to her. _"What gave him away? Was it the glowing red eyes? The constant growling? The fact he hasn't bathed in fuck knows how long? Or is it the ever so charming death threats?"_ He growled sarcastically.

A high pitched scream forces Charizard to wince slightly, before growling a death threat to the one who did it. As he screams, Calem fires off his two remaining shots into Red's gut and chest. Yet again, Red fails to do more than grunt from the pain, more holes are made and no blood is spilt. However, both shots do make the flames across his body burn brighter, and cause the black fire to grow stronger.

" _Was that your best shot? Dipshit, if it didn't work the first time what made you think it would work the next three times?"_ Charizard growled with disinterest. _"I thought the Boss was stupid… But god_ _you_ _are a dumb ass"_

The fingers that hold the handle of the now empty revolver lose their strength, allowing it to drop from his hand and hit the earth with a heavy thud. The stench of Calem losing control over his bladder fills the air, adding to Red's own foul odour. "Y-y-you're not human…" He whimpered in fear.

The self-proclaimed Monster stands at the feet of his enemy. With nothing left to stand in his way, he can finally exact his dark vengeance. "I already told you. I'm a Monster" He snarled, as the flames across his body died, taking with them the glow and the black fire.

Without hesitation or even a hint of mercy, Red drops to his knees and slashes his prey's stomach open. Five long wounds stretch across his flesh, not deep enough to puncture or expose organs, but enough for his blood to flow like a river.

With a volley of strikes and slashes, the Monster's talons shred the soft tissue of Calem's gut and chest, sending streaks of blood in all directions, forever staining the once pink fallen petals.

The hunter has become the prey, Calem was once in control here, but now he is at the mercy of a man consumed by bloodlust. His screams and begs for mercy grow stronger with every passing second, all his desperate attempts to break free are in vain, he's trapped.

Every drop of blood, every scream of pain, every kick, only makes the sadistic smirk across Red's face grow stronger and darker. The suffering of his prey is like a drug to him, and he's only just begun to make him suffer.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Serena screamed in terror. The joy has been stripped from her heart, replaced by pure horror. He's mauling Calem like an Ursaring!

Her childhood crush ignores both her question and her screams, having been consumed by blood lust, nothing matters now but killing this shit head as slowly and painfully as possible. Lifting his head up high, his back arches, the blood drips down his body as he roars proudly into the sky. The sound is so strong and powerful that it carries itself through the trees and into the surrounding towns.

Calem's torn up body is wracked in horrendous pain, he's losing blood quickly, too quickly, if he doesn't get help he'll die. His every survival instinct is telling him to run, to escape while he has the chance. But the reality is, he's in too much pain and is too wounded to escape. He's helpless and at the mercy of this savage.

With an unexpected powerful swipe, the talons return to his chest and flip him over, exposing his undamaged back. Even more blood leaks into the earth, leaving him in even more pain and coming ever closer to the sweet embrace of death. A welcome relief from the pain he now suffers.

His suffering has only just begun, before he knows what's going on, the bloodthirsty Red sinks his fangs into his shoulder. His screams and cries for mercy deepen, as a chunk of flesh, jacket and shirt are ripped from his body and spat out onto the ground beside him. Tears finally swell in his eyes, born from the excruciating pain he now suffers.

"What did I do to deserve this?" He thought weakly, as his tears fell from his eyes.

Next the enraged man, known as Red, sinks his talons into his prey's shoulder blades, not deep enough to hit bone, just enough to shred his flesh. With sadistic, diabolical pleasure, he rips his weaponry down his back, shredding the flesh down either side of his spine.

As the talons run through his flesh, Calem arches his back and screeches like Tepig caught in an Ursaring trap. With a heavy slam, Red forces his head back to the earth, pressing his cheek into a pool of his own blood and pinning him in place.

"Charizard. What are you in the mood for today?" He asked with a demonic grin across his face.

" _Do you even know me?_ _I WANT LIVER_ _!"_ He roared with a rumbling stomach. _"Patience my pet, soon you will be filled with flesh and liver"_ He grumbled, as he rubbed his stomach.

"Good choice" His brother snickered, as he flipped his prey over and onto his shredded back. In the blink of an eye, Red's blood covered fist ploughs itself into the exposed, crimson soaked stomach of his enemy.

The punches fly faster than a speeding bullet, colliding with the bruising flesh of Calem's stomach and kidneys. Blood rises up his throat, filling his mouth, before being coughed up and over his attacker, who continues his relentless beating as though nothing has happened.

Does he intend to beat him to death? He's already mauled him, leaving him with countless injuries that'll likely kill him… Does he want to beat him to death, before he can die from blood loss?

Finally the fists cease their flurry, only to allow his talons to sink into the now black, blue and red belly of his victim. "What's your favourite internal organ?" He hissed.

Calem weakly responds, with a timidly asked question of his own. "W-what are you talking about?"

A quick tug of his fingers rips the tenderised flesh open further and bathes the woodlands in even more blood. "WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE INTERNAL ORGAN?!"

Tears once again leak from the grey eyes, melding and mixing with the blood that was previously being used to keep them alive. Never before has he felt as weak as he does now, it's like there's nothing left of him, but pain. Silently, he prays for the chance to reach help before it's too late for him.

"TOO LATE!" The blood drunk male roared, breaking Calem's prayer and taking his chance to choose away from him. "Charizard picked your liver, so I'm goanna rip it out of you… Before I let you die"

With the skills of an experienced surgeon, Red's eyes lock onto the flesh surrounding the liver in a heartbeat. Slowly his talons run across the skin, hard enough to scratch and draw blood, but soft enough to not be life threatening.

The beautiful flower that is Serena Yvonne cannot describe what she is seeing. Her first and only crush, the boy who taught her to be brave and face her fear, is a blood thirsty animal… This can't be Red, not the same Red she once knew, he's far too vicious… Too cruel… Too evil… But somehow, she knows this _is_ her Red, the one who promised to come back to her… The man who swore to protect her, no matter what.

What could possibly have happened to him, to turn him from the sweet little boy she knew, into this Monster?

A fiendish smirk crawls across said Monster's face, one that sends chills down her spine. He's enjoying his pain, his suffering and his begs to be spared. Calem attempts to bargain with the Monster, in exchange for his freedom, he won't tell anyone what he has done to him; he'll blame it on an Ursaring. The irony of his offer is not wasted on Serena, it seems the tables have turned now; previously she was the one begging for her life, now he is the one who is pleading for mercy.

Slowly Red's talons run through the flesh of his prey, lacking the previous strength and malice they wielded mere moments ago. His nostrils open and close in quick succession, as a faint scent brushes against them and tantalises his sense of smell. There is an all too familiar scent to him, one that Red can't quite figure out. He knows he's smelt it before, many times, but he can't figure out where from…

A new emotion bursts into existence, one he never thought he'd feel here… Fear. Fear is born from the scent that he cannot identify, a particular fear that he knows all too well. "No. Not now. Not here. He can't be here… Can he?" He thought with a panicked tone. "It's not even been a day! How can he have found me already?!"

His previous plans to make Calem's end slow and painful quickly dissolve away, if his fears are founded, then he must end this quickly. Before _he_ reveals himself…

His fear is felt by his brother, but is not reciprocated. Charizard stands as best he can in this dense woodland, and sniffs the air, searching for the same scent Red has caught. _"Boss, I can smell him too. OK… Change of plans, rip his heart out and be done with it. We might have a real fight on our hands"_ He growled with a grin across his face.

Before he even finishes his statement, Red's left hand lunges forwards and clamps itself around Calem's throat tightly, completely cutting off his supply of air. Calem silently pleads for his life, as he tries to pry off the fingers that hold him so tightly.

Red's snarl deepens, as he momentarily pushes his fear out of his mind. He raises his free hand high into the air, before narrowing his fingers down to form a single point. Concentrating his Aura into this limb, brilliant red flames yet again burn across the surface of his flesh.

The eyes of Calem dilate at the sight of the glorious flames before him, if he could, he'd beg and plead for mercy, but Red holds his throat too tightly. He can't even draw breath, let alone speak. His face begins to change colour, turning a faint shade of blue.

Both Serena and the dragon of Fire watch as he begins to strangle Calem to death with a single hand, as well as his second hand which is aimed squarely at his heart. _"You're a crime against nature. Forcing someone to mate with you, it's disgusting and wrong on so many levels. Boss, rip his heart out and send him to the bowls of Hell where shit like him belongs"_

The burning red eyes of Red lock onto the dilated grey orbs of Calem, boring their way into his soul. "When you get to Hell, tell the Devil that I'm going to send his _cold servant_ back to him. In pieces" He hissed with sadistic pleasure, as Calem's eyes began to roll back into his head.

And then, something Red never anticipated occurs. A soft, tender hand grabs onto his burning hand tightly, stopping him from forcing it through the flesh of his target. Serena holds onto him tightly, refusing to let him end her would be rapist's life.

The instant her skin makes contact with his, his diaphragm goes into a powerful spasm, forcing him to take a single short and sharp breath, which cannot be released. A tightness forms across his windpipe, mimicking the feeling of being choked. Sweat drips down his face, as his eyes dilate and his vision blurs. All sounds of the world around him seem to abruptly end, as though someone has flicked a switch on the world's volume control.

The strength the hand that was choking the life from Calem vanishes, allowing Calem to take the deepest breath he possibly can. Red's hand remains against his throat, even as it trembles uncontrollably. Calem's face floods with colour and life, as his supply of oxygen returns to him.

A second touch from Serena turns his head to face her, while her image is blurry, he can see the pleading look across her face as clear as day. Her slender mouth opens to form words, but his ears fail to detect even the faintest of sounds.

He's weak and vulnerable in this state, he can't do anything… He's defenceless. "No" He thought with determination. "I won't give in. I can beat this"

In a display of pure determination, he forces himself to exhale and take a deep breath. He won't be weak. He won't be vulnerable. He won't surrender. These thoughts give him the strength to pull himself back down to earth, to return to the way he was before she touched him. "What?"

"Please don't kill him. Let him go, please" She repeated with teary eyes.

Her request leaves both Red and Charizard stunned, while Calem heard her too, he's still suffering the after effects of going without oxygen for almost a full minute.

The panic attack has left Red in a state of delirium; many thoughts have been pushed out from his mind while others take longer for him to process. Thoughts of the scent and the fear are gone, faded into memory.

"You… You called me Red. Do you remember me?" He whispered, unable to speak louder as the tightness still holds his throat. While to many the answer would be obvious, the delirium has him blind to any possible answer she could give.

A gentle smile forms across her face as she lightly squeezes his hand. "Of course I remember you… Please Red, just let him go" She cried, while nodding her head.

Calem whimpers in his captor's grasp, too weak and petrified to move or speak properly.

Red's mind begins to clear, allowing him to think clearly once again. Yet he still cannot comprehend her request, she wants him to let him go? Why? He tried to rape her, why does she want him to get away with it?

The dragon of Fire leans his head in, wearing a confused expression as though it were a mask. _"Boss I think my hearing's fucked, 'cause I swear she just asked you to let his shit head go… She did say that, didn't she?"_

Seeing the confusion in his face, she explains herself. "Red if you kill him, the police will take you away from me again… Please… You've only just come back, don't let him separate us. Just let him go"

Conflict rages in the cold rock that makes up Red's heart, raging like a hurricane in a small town. He holds a powerful desire to make this sick bastard hurt, very badly, before killing him slowly. But on the other hand, he doesn't want her more upset than she already is. She's been through so much today… But he _really_ wants hurt him.

Sensing the conflict inside him, as well as the decision he's coming to, Charizard shakes his head sharply while growling a warning to him. _"Don't you fucking dare Boss. Don't you go soft on me._ _Kill this fucker!_ _Or at least let me eat him alive"_

Red's snarl returns to him, deeper than before. "Whoever 'police' is, I'll 'em. So don't worry 'bout it" He pulls both his hand and face free from her hold in a single movement, before staring into the eyes of his prey. "KISS YOUR HEART GOODBYE!"

Serena once again grabs him, this time focusing both her hands onto his face, and forces him to look at her. Surprisingly there is little resistance from him, but there is a vast amount of filth rubbing off onto her hands. "Look at me… Look at me Red"

The sight of her puffy red eyes, shattered nose and blood soaked face forces a shunt of guilt to stab into his stomach, forcing his snarl to fade completely. "Please Red; just do this for me… Let him go. He's beaten, he might not even survive what you've already done, and he didn't even hurt me that badly. Just a couple of scratches… Please, just let him go. Before this gets worse"

As it stands right now, there's no way anyone would believe that a human being inflicted wounds like these on Calem, what human has talons? While the bruises around his throat might be an indication, they still have small cuts from the talons, so they'll have trouble proving it was Red. But if he rips his heart out, he'll leave too much evidence behind; they'll find a way to prove it was him.

She's already lost him once, she can't lose him again.

With a deep growl of rage, Charizard slams his claws into the closest tree trunk and tears at the bark. _"You better not let him go, I want his_ _liver!_ _YOU PROMISED ME_ _ **LIVER!**_ _"_

The cold rock beating inside Red's chest begins to beat a little harder, sending cracks across its surface. The feeling of her skin against his sends shivers down his spine, while he definitely feels uncomfortable because of it, it also feels strangely… Nice. Her hands are so warm and so soft… "Your eyes are so beautiful… Just like I remember" He thought silently.

To block out the distraction of her sparkling eyes and beautiful face, he shuts his eyes and thinks. "I've been gone for a long time… So very long. Maybe I'm going soft… (Sigh) Sorry Charizard"

With a heavy sigh, his eyes open once again. While the glow remains as strong as before, the furry that burned within them has eased significantly. His right hand loses the red fire that was burning across it, as it to his side. "Fine" He grunted.

Her smile returns to grace her face, broader than it has been all day. Unthinking, her thumb gently caresses his cheek, rubbing off more filth. "Thank you…" She whispered, before turning her attention to Calem.

"You. Get the fuck out of here. Get to a hospital and get the help you need. If you survive long enough, tell people that a Pokémon did this. Do you understand me?" She spat. "If you keep your mouth shut, so will we. Today never happened"

Calem's eyes gingerly open, as Red and Charizard both focus their attention onto him. The eye can clearly see how powerfully he's trembling; he looks as though he's going to lose control of his bladder and bowls at any moment. "I-if you k-keep him aw-ay from me, I'll do anything you want. Please Serena, j-just keep him away from me" He whimpered.

Red's snarl returns, as does the burning ferocity of his eyes. "Your pain has only just begun. You know nothing of pain" A combination of the anger in his eyes and the power of his snarl, fills Calem with such terrible fear, that he finally loses all control over his bladder. A puddle of urine forms between his legs, adding its stench to the already horrendous smells that lingers across Red's body.

"You've got no fucking idea how lucky you are" Red hissed. "Today I'll let you go, but if you survive long enough to see tomorrow, I'll show you exactly how much pain the body can take before giving out" His every word is drenched in venom, strong enough to make even a Tentacruel shudder.

A fresh wave of tears fall from Serena's eyes, gaining a red pigment from the blood across her face as they drip down, before falling to the earth below. The sound is tiny, easily drowned out by Calem's seemingly endless whining and whimpering, yet it is as clear as the nose on her face, to Red.

His eyes soften as he gingerly wipes away one of her tears, before it can turn crimson. "Why are you crying?" He gently asked. The rage and aggression is banished from his face, it no longer belongs there.

Without thought, she gently plants her own hand atop his, preventing him from pulling away. Despite the pain from her aggravated cuts, she finds comfort in his touch. "Please… Take me home" She cried.

The conflict that was raging in Red's heart returns, weaker than before. He wants to make Calem hurt more, much more. He wants to teach him the meaning of suffering; he wants to rip his very soul to shreds with nothing but his bare hands… But Serena want to leave, it's not hard to understand why. She wants the fighting to end; she just wants to go home where it's safe.

He must choose between what he wants and what she needs. There's no choice to be made.

"Please Red… Just take me home" Serena cried again, still holding onto his hand, refusing to let him go.

The faintest of smiles graces his blood soaked face, bringing peace and tranquillity along with it. "OK then…" He whispered as he nodded his head.

With a sharp snort, one which sends black smoke from his nostrils, Charizard voices his disapproval. _"You've gone fucking soft on me. A fucking woman's gone and cast 'er spell on ya… You fucking idiot. I keep telling you women are nothing but distractions… Why the fuck does everyone wonder why I ain't got a bitch?_ _This_ _is why!"_

Ignoring the world around her, Serena finally smiles back at her violent saviour and releases his hand. Knowing that he'll do as she asked.

The hand that was holding Calem's throat releases its hold over his windpipe, allowing him to hyperventilate in peace. Not even a second later, the same hand slams itself against the left side of his head, exposing his cheek and forces his head down, into a puddle of his own blood. He whimpers out even more pleas for mercy, as Red's talons lightly stab into his flesh.

"If by some mother fucking miracle you survive these wounds, then I'm coming for you" Red snarled, his voice once again dripping with venom. "You've got two years to live, then I'm goanna hunt you down and make you wish you were never born"

Not giving his prey the chance he needs to resist or plead again, Red makes his move. In the time it takes for the eye to blink, his right index talon stabs into Calem's exposed cheek and brutally carves a large X into it. He carves into his flesh with sadistic pleasure, enjoying the warmth and feel of his blood against his flesh. A moment later, his work is done; he rips his talon free from his flesh and smirks at his handiwork.

Calem claws desperately at his ripped open face, screaming like a baby with a broken arm. Tears stream down from his eyes, like Serena's did moments ago; they too mix with blood to gain a crimson pigment.

"You are marked for death. Every time you see your ugly face you'll know that I'm coming for you. Enjoy what little time you've got left shit head, 'cause when I see you again, I'm goanna rip your flesh from your bones and feed it to Charizard. If I haven't seen your hide after two years, I'll hunt you down and make your end _extra_ painful" Red barked, with a sadistic look across his face.

As Red rises from the earth, Charizard looks at him with what could only be described as dread. He shakes his head in quick succession, sending sweat flying in all directions at once. _"No. No no no. Not that, anything but that Boss, come on! Don't do_ _that_ _!"_

Calem continues to whimper and cry, despite Charizard's fear filled growls. "Please, please let me go"

An evil grin forms across Red's face, as his right foot lifts off the ground, to hover over Calem's groin. The dragon of Fire shakes his head faster and pleads with his brother not to do it, but his pleas fall on deaf ears, nothing will stop Red from taking his revenge.

"No one. Hurts my friends. And lives" He growled, before slamming his foot so hard, the resulting shockwave lifts the fallen blood soaked petals from the earth.

Calem's screech of unholy pain easily drown out Charizard's cries of disgust, the pain from having his testicles crushed beneath Red's foot is so intense, it has him paralysed. The sound of his pain churns Serena's stomach, stirring her already loose breakfast up to her throat.

Charizard covers his eye with one hand, while rubbing his churning stomach with the other, trying to keep what little food he has inside his belly. _"AH GOD YOU DID IT ANYWAY!_ _You_ _are sick in the head Boss! Goin' for guy's nuts… That's just evil"_ He whined.

Red can feel Calem's balls beginning to crack under his foot; it won't be long until they burst. Shifting his weight onto just the one foot, he locks eyes with his prey. "Do you believe in an eye for an eye?" He spat. "Well I do. You hurt her, I hurt you"

With an ear splitting pop, Calem's testicles burst open. Reduced to nothing but a bloody pulp.

Calem's eyes contract tightly, the agonising pain that now surges through him steals his voice, leaving him to writhe in pain silently. Red grinds his foot slightly, before taking a step back.

"It is done" He spat.

Slowly, very slowly, Calem's hands snake down to his reddening groin, to delicately cradle what is left of his manhood. Blood stains his hands within the space of a second; he's lost so much blood today, pints of it. How is he still alive? He must have lost more than enough to end his life, so how can he still be alive?

Regardless of the answer, he _is_ alive… But he's barely a man anymore. His bodily injuries don't make a difference, yes they are the cause of a great deal of pain, but they don't take away that which makes him a man. He's been broken. There's no will to fight left inside of him, all it would take to extract whatever Red desires, is an order to spill his guts.

Red glares down at the broken man lying before him, before spitting in his eye. Serena covers her mouth in disgust, never before has she seen anything like this. She witnessed Red mauling Calem, like an Ursaring would, but even that seems like nothing compared to what she has just witnessed.

Charizard has been by his brother's side for years, they've endured things that would make even a sadist cringe, but what he has just witnessed forces him to cover his one good eye. He can't bear to watch this anymore.

"Get out of my sight. Before I change my mind and waste your smug ass early" Red barked, without taking his eyes off his prey.

Calem's lies motionless on the ground, bleeding out, too petrified of the man he thinks is named for a colour to move. His fear of him is greater than his fear of death.

"GO NOW!" The Monster with the glowing blood red eyes, breaking Calem's petrification in an instant.

Despite the pain of his shredded muscles, his broken groin and his torn apart face, Calem manages to slowly pull himself to his feet, using a tree as leverage. Blood falls freely from him, as though he's a fountain and the crimson fluid is water. "I won't tell anyone anything… I swear I won't. Just please don't hurt me anymore… Please I beg you, have mercy" He said, his voice cracking and sounding much higher than it was before all this began.

Serena drops her hand, to cross her arms before exposed chest. "If you keep your mouth shut, then today never happened. Now do as he said and get out of here, before Charizard decides to eat you anyway" She growled, surprising both herself and Red.

The would be rapist, who has now been stripped of everything, steals one last venomous glance at her, before slowly making his way back to the nearest town. "This is all _your_ fault you bitch" He thought venomously. "If you hadn't of done that shit with your Aura and called him here, I wouldn't have been mutilated. You'll pay for this… Master will make you both pay"

Even as he slowly limps away, muttering he needs a doctor, Red maintains his guard. He cannot, _will_ _not_ , let him catch them by surprise. Serena already caught him off guard once today and it sent him into a panic attack, there's no way in Hell he's going to let something like that happen again. Making use of his Aura Vision, Red watches him limp away.

After a moment of awkward silence, Red is satisfied that Calem is gone and isn't going to come back.

Relief pours over him, just like the sweat that now forms across his body. The burning rage that drove him to sprint as fast as he could, burns out inside him, taking with it all the energy it gave him.

His legs tremble under his own weight, forcing him to sit on the fallen log and rest. Every breath is an effort now, despite all his power, he is as susceptible to the effects of rage the same as anyone else. It gives him a short burst of strength, only to take it all away from him, once it subsides.

The burning blood red hue of his eyes subsides with his rage, revealing the true colour of his eyes. Electric blue, deeper and more powerful than the red ever was, however, they lack the sense of rage and intimidation that the glow provides. His two inch curved talons begin to retract, turning back into blood soaked but otherwise normal fingernails.

Overpowering fatigue sets into his body, leaving him weakened and exhausted. Finally the pain from being shot in the torso four times kicks in, stinging his flesh like a bitch. The flattened bullets fell from his jacket during the confrontation, but went unnoticed by them all.

Despite all that has happened, all the pain that he now feels, his exhaustion and the knowledge that he now has to feed Charizard until he can't eat anymore, Red's still smiling.

The reason? It is over. He stopped the vision from coming true; he saved her from being raped and ending her own life. But more than this, he kept his promise to her. He swore to protect her when she needed him, and he has done so.

With a slow drag of his hand, he wipes off the sweat from his forehead. "Sorry Charizard… I need a little time before… I feed you" He breathed, too tired to speak normally.

The Fire dragon shakily nods his head, without uncovering his eye. _"If you swear not to do that again, then I'll wait longer… Asshole got everything he deserved"_ His claws slowly drop down, exposing his eye again. _"But did you_ _really_ _have to bust his balls?! That makes me sick and you know it!"_

His rant of his brother's actions goes unheard, as Red's focus is on spitting out as much blood as he can, as well as removing lingering threads of skin from his teeth. And then, his eyes capture the image of the most beautiful sight in the world. Serena's eyes glisten with tears of joy, capturing what little light there is perfectly, reflecting it like the surface of the moon.

A weak smile forms across his face, which she mirrors with a faint blush. "Hi" He said, as though nothing has just happened, causing her to giggle slightly.

Tears of joy run down Serena's blood soaked and slashed cheeks, he may only have said a single word, but it means so much to her, to just hear his voice again. "Hi Red"

Said man's face erupts into a full face, beetroot red blush, so powerful its glow is obvious through even the filth and blood across his face. Without warning or explanation, he turns his head away from her and visibly swallows. An all too familiar sensation floods into his groin, one which fills him with strange emotions and makes a certain part of his anatomy grow longer and harden. To hide his growing erection, his holds his legs together tightly, preventing it from forming a lump in his tight pants.

His blush may be obvious to Serena, but luckily his boner isn't. "What's wrong Red?" She asked with concern.

Her innocent words make both his blush grow stronger, and send a pulsing sensation through his unwanted erection. "I… I'll… Umm… G-give you… A…" The temptation to turn back and steal another look is powerful, but his embarrassment and desire to preserve her dignity is greater. "Minute to… Get dressed"

He'll give her a minute to get dressed? Why? There's nothing wrong with her clothes, is there?

These thought only add to her confusion, why would he say something like that and why does he look so embarrassed? The answers to these questions come quicker than she had hoped; a cool breeze blowing against her exposed breasts reminds her that she's half naked. Her tits are exposed and lifted up by her bra, and her panties are hanging down around her thighs, how they're still on is a mystery in itself. With a scream that would rival that of a five year old, she covers her exposed chest with one arm and does the same with her groin with her second arm.

Charizard snickers loudly as he turns his head away, unlike Red he had noticed that she might as well be naked, he just didn't care. But she obviously does, so he'll do the kind thing and give her some dignity. _"Are you a real man Boss? She's got her tits hanging out… and you tell her to put 'em away? Moron"_

Red ignores his comment, while keeping his gaze averted from Serena's hour glass figure and exposed sexy body. The temptation to look grows stronger with each passing second, as his boner throbs more and more. It's getting harder and harder to keep his eyes averted.

After a quick check to see if anyone is watching her, Serena makes herself decent again. After the final checks are done, it becomes obvious to her that she is covered in blood, dirt, sweat and stains from the plants.

Blood still lightly trickles from the wounds Calem's blade dealt her, but her nose has finally stopped bleeding. At first she wondered if it was broken, but now there can be no doubt, he broke it badly. Regardless, it pales in comparison to the pain from the gashes across her cheeks.

"How am I goanna explain all this?" She frantically thought. "I'm filthy, I've got wounds on my face, there's blood all over me and I'll be bringing home a man… Dad's goanna flip"

While she contemplates their eventual fate, Charizard finds a source of amusement and snickers into the tree he now leans against. Through their Connection, Red can easily tell what has him so amused. "Shut the fuck up" He snapped. "She's embarrassed"

" _Who's more embarrassed? Her or you?"_ He quickly retorted.

Normally Red wouldn't hesitate to jump into an argument with his brother, but he knows him too well. Whatever he says or does, Charizard will twist it back at him. This time he holds his tongue, refusing to give Charizard the ammunition he needs to continue.

Charizard doesn't need him to speak though, their Connection works both ways, just as Red knew why he was snickering, he knows the answer to his question. Red is by far more embarrassed than Serena is, but most of his humiliation comes from his concealed erection.

Serena frantically dusts herself down, attempting to clean her clothes off before they make their way into town. Sadly, all she manages to do is make it worse, by adding the filth that rubbed off from Red's face to the decorative mess of stains that covers her clothes.

With a heavy sigh of frustration, she abandons her attempts to cleanse herself and accepts her inevitable fate. "Its OK boys, you can turn around I'm decent now"

Grateful beyond measure for the distraction, Red turns back to offer his thanks, but chokes on the words before they can be arranged in his mouth. Serena's astounding beauty has ensnared his senses, and stolen his ability to speak. When he was fighting, he didn't really see her, just her wounds and blood.

Maybe it's because he's exhausted and hasn't seen a woman for Mew only knows how long, but right now, she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Even with her crushed nose, sliced open cheeks and blood soaked face… She's still beautiful.

A deep blush bursts across Serena's face, born from the way Red now looks at her, like she's beautiful. Over the years, many people have commented on her beauty, sometimes it made her skin crawl, other times it made her feel special… But the look he now gives her means far more than any words anyone else could ever say. All she needs for it to be complete, is for him to say the words. That she's beautiful.

A playful smile forms across her face, as a devious idea forms in her mind. "Are you in there Red? Or have my big, bouncy boobs killed your mind?… Why are you looking at me like that?" She playfully teased, barely able to keep herself from lunging at him.

Undeterred by her teasing, he continues to ravage her with his eyes, unable to focus properly on anything else. "It's… It's just… You've changed so much. Last time I saw ya… You were a kid… Now you're… You're a…" His voice loses its power as he goes on, trailing off into nothingness.

Ignoring his weakening voice, Serena slinks her way forwards to sit beside him on the fallen log. The moment she comes into contact with him again, his pulse quickens and a lump forms in his throat. Strange sensations and foreign desires spur inside him, desires to touch more of her, to feel her skin against his.

Every thought of these feelings sends more throbbing pulses through his groin, deepening the desires and forming new ones. His libido throbs with the passion of a pair of star crossed lovers, leaving him unable to focus on anything besides her, and his rather perverted desires.

Just as it did for him, their touch sent Serena's libido into overdrive. Less than an hour ago she was begging not to be raped; now her vagina floods with desire for his manhood. Confusion makes itself known in her hormone filled mind, how can one man make such a difference in such a short amount of time?

Her awaken libido quickly pushes these and similar thoughts from her mind, and forces her eyes of openly ogle his body. His clothes seem to be very tight on him, they look as though they'll split apart if he flexed too hard. "You've changed too… You're… Bigger" She weakly chirped, with a deep blush.

Her voice is enough to momentarily break his thoughts of her naked body, and onto the matter at hand. "I guess I have" He said, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You're fucking filthy" She commented. "You _desperately_ need a makeover, there's no way you'll fit into society looking like this"

Charizard snorts out a small, but strong, ember, reminding them both that he is still here. _"He's always like this and don't give a shit what anyone thinks of it… Boss when we goin' back? I'm_ _bored_ _and_ _HUNGRY!_ _"_

Red had momentarily forgotten that he does not live in this place, that he has a home and responsibilities to attend to. His momentary joy at being reunited with his childhood friend vanishes, he cannot stay for long.

"Serena, I've gotta go back soon. It's not right for me to stay here…" He murmured, disappointment lingering in his voice.

"Why?" She whined, with eyes wider than an Eevee using Baby Doll Eyes.

"The Beast" He retorted quicker than a Thunderbolt, with a hint of resentment in his voice. "It's still alive and stronger than ever. If I stay _you'll_ be in danger"

" _Don't forget the Clan Boss, they need you"_ Charizard added, eager to leave this place and return to his home, where he will undoubtedly be fed. _"They need us"_

Before Red's able to say another word, Serena makes her move. Her arms snake around his neck, pulling him in so close, each can feel the other's breath against their lips. The words that he had prepared melt upon the touch of her hot breath, in their place nothing comes.

The dragon of Fire facepalms at the sight before him, while shaking his head disapprovingly. _"Ah shit… She's casting her spell… It was nice knowing you while you had free will Boss"_

"No Red… You have to stay" She whispered, oblivious to the world around her and her crush. "I've been _so_ lonely for so long, you have to stay here, with me" She added a sultry tone, causing a nervous smile to form on his face. "You have to keep me company on those lonely, _cold_ nights when I'm all alone…"

"I don't care about the Beast; I just want you to stay…" She added, with a long drawn his whisper into his ear. Every word the falls from her lips sends chills down his spine, destroys any lingering shreds of resistance and teases the devil in his pants.

Her less than subtle hint goes unnoticed by the ever dense man; instead his focus is on a conflict that he battles. He promised her years ago that he'd come back for her and his family, she obviously wants him to stay, but is it right?

He's been away from them all for so long; fuck knows just _how_ long, it'll be nice to spend time with both her and his family again… But can he just abandon his responsibilities? There're so many who depend on him, Charizard and Blade in more ways than one, how can he just leave them to fend for themselves?

But it's not like they're unprotected, there're plenty of Defenders and Hunters back at home, Maw Maw will be able to keep order and Zaru can fight off pretty much any attacker… He's been carrying them all for so long, hasn't he earned a little break? Some time for himself?

Seeing the conflict in his eyes, Serena decides to give him a little push. "Your family lives close by Red, they moved out of Kanto years ago. Once I've cleaned you up and make you look handsome, I'll give them a call for you… You can see them again Red. Then we can finally keep our promise, we can explore Kalos together… Please Red, stay"

The sound of bone crashing against wood echoes through the woodlands, disturbing Serena's words. Charizard slams his head against the nearest tree repeatedly, growling the same two words with every blow. _"I'M DEAD! I'M DEAD! I'M DEAD!"_ His head finally lifts, to rest against the trunk. _"Nibbler's goanna kill me…"_ He whined.

His eye contracts, his claws reflexively pull back, tearing into the bark effortlessly. _"Or worse… She'll tell Maw Maw"_ He whimpered, fear dripping from his voice. Turning back to face his brother, he makes a desperate plea. _"BOSS! KILL ME NOW! Whatever you'll do is mercy compared to what_ _she'll_ _do to me!"_

Red sharply glares at his brother. "Don't you mean what she'll do to _us_?! Why should you get out of it? I ain't goin' down for this alone"

Charizard goes back to slamming his head against the tree, in an attempt to kill what few brain cells he has left, before Maw Maw can exact her punishment on him. _"WHY MEW WHY?!"_

A soft hand once against places itself against Red's cheek, pulling him back to face the Baby Doll Eyes of Serena once again. "Please Red… Stay here with me. Train me to be a Knight like you and Lily… Please" She asked, with a deliberately weak voice.

Any lingering traces of resistance vanish as he gazes into her sapphire like eyes. "I'll regret this later… But I do owe her _big time_ " He thought, with a smile on his face.

His callous covered hand gently rises, to tenderly lift her chin up and closer to his. "OK" He whispered. "I'll stay… I'll stay for as long as you want me to"

" _I give it five minutes before you two are mating. For the love of god put me back in my ball_ _BEFORE_ _you do. Have_ _some_ _mercy on me"_ Charizard whimpered, as he banged his head one last time.

* * *

 **QUE THE CHEESY LOVE MUSIC! ~Every night in my dreams, I see you… I FEEEEEEELLL you...~ OK I can't sing!**

 **Red and Charizard are back! No surprise there, as they're two main characters in this story. For those of you who aren't sure how old the characters are, I'll say it now. The twins are 18 while Serena's 17. There, now you know.**

 **If you're a man reading this, then you're like me and** _ **cringed**_ **when Red crushed Calem's balls… But it gets worse,** _ **way**_ **worse. He'll get what he deserves, it'll be slow and painful, the shit from horror movies. And I'll enjoy every word of it. Hehehehehe.**

 **Now I need to scrub myself down in boiling oil, as I feel absolutely disgusting for writing that scene before Calem got what he deserved… Disgusting bastard.**

 **OK enough crap now, next Chapter carries on directly from this one, as it's part of the new arc. Trust me guys, it gets** _ **lots**_ **better soon. Hehehehehehehe.**

 **Until next time guys, bleed out a review, punch a suggestion, ask as many questions as you like… Do whatever you feel like doin'.**

 **As always guys… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	7. Wounds heal in time

**Chapter 7 – Wounds heal in time**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to Wolf, Nightgale45 & everyone who hit that Follow button with ya face! Wolf you're so right, the pains of being a guy and reading that… When I wrote it, it made me cringe and… Well I won't say it.**

 **Nightgale, I'm glad you liked Red's brutal nature. Red's changed. He's not that same sweet little boy from chapters 1 – 5 anymore… Red has become a Monster.**

 **Sometimes the world no longer needs a hero, sometimes what it needs most is a Monster.**

 **ENJOY GUYS!**

 **Disclaimer: The only way I could ever own Pokémon, is if the show Mountain Monsters suddenly becomes a reality show. NOT GOANNA HAPPEN!**

 **Edit: OK guys I've redone this Chapter too, this is one I certainly enjoyed re-writing. 24/04/17**

* * *

Within the seemingly bottomless ocean of electric blue that comprises Red's eyes, Serena finds herself lost. The gentle touch of his strong hand against her face tenderly drawing her close, so close the heat of his breath rolls over her lips, weakens her knees and melts her aching heart.

"OK… I'll stay… I'll stay for as long as you want me to" He whispered, wrapping her in a sense of security and joy.

A tiny spark of light flickers within his eyes, one that reminds her of the sweet little boy she fell for, when she was nothing more than a little girl. That was so long ago, he's changed so much… Grown so strong. But inside, he's still her Knight in filthy armor… The boy who rescued her when she needed help the most, and no amount of time or distance could ever change that.

He knows he shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be touching her like this, but… How can he possibly resist the call of an angel? Only now does he realise just how much he's missed her, how deeply he's yearned to see her again, how desperately he's wanted to hold his friend in his arms again… Friend… The word spurs a scratch within his throat, forcing him to attempt to swallow his pain.

"She's my friend. Nothing more, nothing less… I can't let you be anything more Serena, but I'll still protect you… I'll protect you with my life, my friend" He thought, every word stabbing his blackened heart.

"You're so beautiful… The most beautiful woman in the world" The thought passed through his mind, neither welcomed nor pushed aside.

His callous covered hand climbs up from her chin to her cheek, cupping it gently as his thumb rubs against her sore flesh. She melts into his hand, into him, the warmth from his touch burns the pain and humiliation her attacker caused away, replacing them with joy and ecstasy. Within seconds the memory of her attacker becomes just that, a memory, something that can never harm nor bother her again. Rubbing her face into the palm of his bloodied hand, she shuts her eyes and breathes deeply through her nose, a smile of contentment across her split lip.

"Promise me Red… Promise me you'll stay here with me. Promise me you won't leave me again" She murmured, her eyes opening and her movements ceasing. "Promise me you'll protect me"

"I promise" He whispered back without even a moment's hesitation, and a gentle smile across his bearded face. "I'll stay for as long as you want me to. I'll only ever leave you if I've got no choice, if it's the only way I can protect you… I'll always protect you Serena; I'll defend you until my dying breath"

Tears of joy swell in her eyes, refusing to fall, they sparkle in the sunlight. She pulls him into a hug so tight, the lines between them begin to blur, his hand falls from her face to return her hug. "Thank you… Thank you for keeping your promise. You came back for me... Just like you promised"

Her hands slide across his back, mindlessly feeling the strong muscles beneath the thin jacket. "I could rub you all day" She thought. No sooner than the thought formed within her mind, than her hands freeze against his back. She had expected to feel powerful muscles, fabric so tight it could split apart if he flexed, but instead she has discovered… A dent? A very big, very deep, dent in the flesh. Almost as if a large portion of the flesh has been removed. Seeking reassurance that not all of his back is like this, her hands slide a little lower. To her immense relief the indentation quickly ends and the flesh returns, as firm and tough as she had dared to dream it would be… In fact, it almost feels _too_ hard. Not like she imagined well-built muscle would feel like at all, it feels more like… Concrete.

How? How could human flesh possibly feel as hard as concrete? Could… Could she have found scars? What wound could possibly leave him with scars like this? How could he _survive_ a wound like that?!

The glistening of her eyes quickly turns from joy to sorrow, the thought of Red suffering stabs her heart like a razor sharp knife. "Who hurt you Red?" She thought, her tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Someone hurt her oldest friend, hurt him so badly they left scars so thick, they feel like solid stone.

Red fails to even notice Serena's exploration of his back, even as her hands wander across his scars and probe them for knowledge. Such a light sensation cannot be felt through scars like these, not when his attention is firmly focused on an unfamiliar and conflicting desire. While his hands remain perfectly still against her back, they long to rub their way across her tender skin. To feel the heat from her flesh against his, to caress the curves of her body and make her moan his name…

What? Where did _that_ come from? It makes no sense, why does he desire to hear her moan and scream his name? "What's happening to me? It's not like I haven't seen a woman before" He thought, panicked by his primal desires and urges.

Forcing these unwanted thoughts and desires from his conscious mind, he gently squeezes her comfortingly. "I said I would, didn't I? I promised to protect you when you needed me… You needed me, so I came"

No sooner than the words pass his lips than the desire returns, stronger than before. Far too strong to simply be ignored like before. Acting without orders from the tiny hunk of flesh within his head, his hands gingerly wander down her back, seeking something to make her produce the sounds he desires. A new desire bursts into being, one that frightens him so strongly, that his hands tremble lightly and freeze in place.

He finds himself overwhelmingly compelled to plant his lips softly against her neck, as his hands explore every inch of her untouched body. To do what no one else has done and taste of her fruit, as she whispers his name into his ear and pulls him close. Blurring the lines between man and woman, in a passionate flurry of desire and love.

"W-what the fuck is goin' on with me?!" He thought, panicked by the sudden creation of a fantasy. "I've never wanted to do _that_ before! Why's it happening now?!… Is it 'cause I saw her tits?"

Comfort and joy force their way through the wall of pain and humiliation, that surrounds Serena's aching heart. The sound of her crush's voice, as well as being held in his powerful arms, brings a sense of security to her. Her smiles returns, accompanied by a rosy blush, as his hands slowly slide down her sensitive back, drawing ever closer to her soft and plump rump. One of the few parts of her anatomy that he didn't see naked… But perhaps may grasp firmly, within his strong hands.

"Red…" She whispered, pulling away from him just enough to look him in the eye, but leaving them close enough to remain in each other's arms. "I mean it. Thank you… Thank you for keeping your promise… For protecting me… You saved my life"

Her honey like voice quickly quiets the confusing thoughts and tantalising fantasies running amok within his mind, leaving the Knight able to think clearly once again. Mistaking her movement for an excuse to break this, their first embrace since their painful goodbye so many years ago, he pulls away from her completely. Leaving her with a sudden realisation, of how cold the world is without his touch.

"I'll always protect you, Serena. No matter what"

" _Ugh… You'll make me sick"_ Charizard snarled, watching the love stuck teenagers from afar with a death glare. _"I'll make this easy for you to understand. Put me back in my ball… OR I WILL KILL YOU!"_

Responding before the Fire starter can even complete his death threat, Red jumps back to his feet. With eyes blazing red with fury, and talons eager to rip scales from flesh, Red gives his Fire dragon partner a glare strong enough to make even Death himself shiver. "You are welcome to try" He snarled.

The burning blood red glow of the Knight's eyes is more than enough proof for Charizard; Red has started fights over less and is more than prepared to do so again. Through their Connection of Aura, he is able to feel Red's desire to protect Serena, at any cost… This just isn't worth the hassle. _"Ah fuck it. Not worth all this bullshit. Just put me back so I can take a nap"_

"Fine. Go back to bed you fat fuck" He growled, pulling out Charizard's Pokéball from his pocket.

" _I'M NOT FAT!"_ The Fire type roared, before being engulfed in a beam of red light and returning to the comfortable embrace of his Pokéball. A place he hasn't been in for quite some time.

"Yeah, that's why Mama put you on a diet" He muttered into the crimson capped orb, before returning it to the safety and security of his pocket.

Serena rolls her eyes at the sight she has witnessed, those two never were nice to each other, even as children. But the saying goes, if two people fight a lot, they really care for each other. Despite their constant fighting and acts of aggression against one another, there can be no doubt as to the strength of the bond between these brothers.

"Red, let's go home" She sweetly said, before hooking her right arm around his left. "I can't wait to- AIE!" Her words cut short by a pang of searing pain across her face; she had tried to lean against his shoulder, but instead received a reminder of the wounds Calem left her with. Tears quickly swell in her sparkling blue eyes, before rolling down her blood saturated cheeks and bathing her wounds in their salty touch.

The cracks across his stone like heart spread, these surface fractures were formed mere hours ago, but already spread far and wide. While it may seem as though the pain from her flesh is coaxing the fluid from her orbs of sight, his still glowing eyes clearly see the truth. The pain is simply a reminder of how close she came to being violated. With their reason for being gone, the glow to his eyes loses its shine and his natural weaponry returns to normal, taking away the sense of intimidation they bring.

With a combination of precision and a gentle touch, he lifts a stray lock of hair from her face. "Hey… It's OK, he can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him" He whispered, his voice soft and comforting. His soothing words, matched with an equally soothing voice, bring her comfort and a sense of security. Her eyes timidly open, but her tears continue to fall from the corners of her eyes, the reddening and swelling of her flesh continues unhindered. "Don't cry anymore… I can heal these cuts for you, if that's what you want" He added just as gently as before, pulling the lock of hair behind her ear.

"Really?" She whimpered, sniffling.

"Yeah. I'm not a Healer, but even I can heal cuts… You'll have a little pain for a little while, but they'll be gone"

To most wounds are just that, wounds. But to the emotionally scarred Serena, they are a reminder of how close Calem came. How he had complete power over her, how he could have done anything and everything to her, how there was nothing she could do to defend herself, how he could have killed her without effort. They are a symbol of Calem's power over her.

Hope. Red offers her hope. The removal of these symbols won't take the pain of his actions away, but it will allow the healing process to begin.

Red obviously has immense power flowing through him constantly, he is a weapon that is always ready to strike, even when he has no intention of spilling blood… And yet, he is gentle. Able to life the smallest strands of hair away without causing even the slightest inkling of pain, able to ease the pain of her raw wounds… Whatever horrors he has endured in his short life, there is still kindness and compassion left in his heart. She just needs to bring it out to the surface, for all to see.

The thought of her Knight in filthy armor having a soft side to him, one that he reveals only to her, draws a simple smile across her face, bringing joy where there was only pain. "OK… I'll get some scars though, won't I? They'll make me beautiful… Won't they?"

His response comes not in the form of words, but with the gentle touch of the back of his finger, wiping away the last lingering tears across her skin, but leaving the blood of her attacker behind. The touch of his skin against hers sends Butterfree loose in her belly. "I've got enough scars for us both" He whispered, lifting the final tear from her face. "You don't need anything to be beautiful… You're already the most beautiful woman in the world"

The icy fangs of regret sink into his neck the moment the words leave his lips, but it's too late, the words have already been sent on their way. There can be no taking them back, however much he may want to. He spoke no lies, but he shouldn't have told her that, he cannot think of her like that… Can he? All he's doing is noticing an aspect of her, and providing reassurance in her moment of pain… Or is he really just putting her at risk?

Thoughts move fast, while the body moves slow. In his moment of thought, he inadvertently allowed his blood soaked hand to linger beside her face. Without thought of the risks that come from mixing foreign blood with an open wound, Serena guides his hand into cupping her cheek once again. A minor pang of pain reminds her of both her fresh wounds, and the man who caused them. But the memory of them both is quickly pushes out of mind, by the adorable look of confusion across his face. She gently nuzzles her cheek into the palm of his hand affectionately, while keeping her eyes aimed at his. A minor stab of pain comes, but one that is easily ignored. The power of his full face beetroot blush is so strong, it shines through the excessively long stream of facial hair.

"My nose is broken, my face is cut and… I'm covered in dirt and blood… I'm not beautiful" She whispered, refusing to break their shared eye contact.

"Yes you are… You're the most beautiful woman there is" He whispered without thought, speaking through the pump in his chest, rather than from his tiny brain.

His kind words stir the Butterfree in her stomach and dilate her eyes in joy, whether or not the compliment is accurate is irrelevant, _he_ believes it to be the truth and that's what matters most to her. He really thinks she's beautiful, even like this. Her affectionate nuzzle deepens, melting into his hand as it does. "I bet there's a handsome face under all that hair and dirt" She whispered, blushing lightly as she does.

"Ugh… Thanks?" He nervously replied, with a weak smile and brighter face.

His embarrassment to a simple compliment earns him a girlish giggle from his crush, whom he denies having feelings for. "So I don't get any scars?" She playfully said.

"I don't think you want to remember today. I'll make sure not to leave any scars behind" He said with a gentle smile across his face.

"I'll never forget you coming to my rescue… No matter what, I'll always remember and be grateful to you" She said, continuing to rub her cheek into palm, leaving a less than subtle hint for him to take over.

For one her hint does _not_ go unnoticed, Red's thumb gently caresses her sore skin, without a conscious order from his mind to do so. A soft moan of bliss fills her throat, but is held back by her tongue, she will let nothing ruin this moment. "No matter what happens, I'll always protect you… But, you need to let go of my hand so I can heal you"

"Oh. Sorry" She nervously said, blushing lightly, before relinquishing her hold over his hand.

For a moment he hesitates, before he too relinquishes his gently hold over her flesh. Instantly he finds himself craving the warmth of her skin, compelled to caress it again, but he holds strong, resisting his primal desires… Just barely. To both satisfy his desires and heal her wounds, he holds his hands over her face, but does not make direct contact with her. Ghost like flames form across his hands, red in colour, they burn away the unwanted blood and filth across his dextrous limbs. A dim glow shines from these flames, one that illuminates Serena's entire face and dissolves away all the blood and filth the does not belong on her body.

The healing glow of his Aura does not feel like light, no, it feels like the gentle touch of his powerful hands. His Aura acts as a bridge between his hands and her face, granting him the sensation of her warm ivory skin, while also agitating his libido even further.

Her eye lids grow heavy, falling to a shut position. A sense of security rises inside her, born from the comfort and joy that comes from her Knight in filthy armor's touch. A soft moan falls from her lips, one that sends blood to her cheeks and wrenches her eyes open. The sight she is greeted by sends even more blood to her already rosy cheeks and steals the breath from her lungs.

His powerful electric blue eyes are fixed onto her beautiful sapphire ones, ravaging them and devouring the endless light that shines from them. Their shimmering surface brings back memories of home, of the great lake at night… Swimming with life and shimmering in the moonlight.

Delving past the initial powerful surface of his eyes, Serena sees what could only be described as a swirling maelstrom of fire, burning everything in its path to cinders. Beyond the anger that burns inside, a gentle light shines through, one that weakens her knees and easies the pain inside. Calem's act of evil is still fresh in her mind, stabbing into her and filling her with fear. But the gentle and comforting light from her love's eyes eases the sting.

His hands continue to pass over the curves of pain filled face, her blood rising back into the wounds from which it fell, compelled to return by the healing glow he exudes. Slowly the wounds begin to close; new skin grows across their surface, leaving not even a single trace of a scar behind. So firmly fixed on his eyes is she, that she doesn't even notice the pain in her face ease. While the wounds are indeed closing, healing, the sting from the open flesh remains, significantly weakened, but still there.

As the last of the blood returns to its source, the gashes in her flesh finish their healing. Its purpose fulfilled, the burning flame like Aura across his hands recedes into his body, taking with it the healing glow. Yet neither of them makes a move to break their eye contact, it is a moment neither of them wants to end. Against his better judgement and fear, he allows his hands to obey the unfamiliar desires he now feels.

The large, rough skinned, callous covered hands timidly reach for the tender skin of her freshly healed cheeks. The warmth from her flesh against his fingertips forces blood to rush to his face, forming a heavy blush. His hands tremble under the weight of the fear that now binds him, his every fibre commands him to hold her tenderly, but his fear overpowers this desire.

"Red you fucking moron, just do it!" He thought. "Don't let fear hold you back, come on you're tougher than this!" But amount of self-motivation can push through the wall of petrifying doubt that binds him in place. His breathing picks up, becoming short sharp snorts through his nose, as panic sets into his heart. Before he realises it, his entire body begins to tremble and his eyes dilate.

"Red… It's OK" She whispered, slowly pressing the palms of his hands against her face, doing for him what fear prevented. "You can touch me… It's OK, don't be scared" She added, her thumb gently rubbing against skin, both calming his heart and making her own beat harder.

Red's scattered nerves finally begin to calm, abating the trembling throughout his body and particularly his hands. The fear that previously held him back begins to die, overpowered by the desire to hold her close and take away the pain that still plagues her soul.

Cupping his hands across her cheeks, he smiles comfortingly at her, sending her rapidly beating heart into a flutter. "There… That's better" He whispered, his voice sending shivers down her spine, and birthing a loving smile of her own as her eyes fall shut. Unthinking, she gently nuzzles her cheek into his right hand. The smile drops from his face in an instant, her actions have left him stunned.

Frustration is clearly evident across his hair covered face, as obvious as the cold sweat that drips down his skin. "Holy shit, she's fucking forward… She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know what she's doing! Calm down you moron! This doesn't mean anything to her!" He thought, attempting to calm the urge rapidly building within him.

A wigging in his pocket alerts him to his starter's desire to speak, his advanced sense of hearing allows him to hear even the tiniest of sounds, when focused it allows him to even hear the voices of his Pokémon from within their Pokéballs. This power is shared with any whose Aura is Connected to his, including both Charizard and Blade.

" _Is she doin' what I think she is?… Fuck no, I'm shutting off this Connection._ _Don't_ _open it until after you've finished fucking her brains out"_ Charizard growled from within the confines of his Pokéball.

Serena remains blissfully unaware of the Fire type's words, she continue to affectionately nuzzle her crush's hand. To ensure she remains in the dark, Red sends an Aura Message to both Charizard and Blade, pre-emptively silencing him as well. "(She doesn't know what she's doing! Humans don't do mating displays like us! So a nuzzle means nothing! SHE'S NOT TRYING TO MATE WITH ME!)"

Before the great lumbering Fire dragon can goad his brother into embarrassing himself even further, Blade steps in. _"Both you just shut up, before I am forced to silence you both myself. Master, we are well aware that humans do not attract mates the same way we do. However, we have no idea just how they do it, she may be attempting to gain your affections, she may not. I suggest you learn more about human mating affairs, before attempting to make her yours"_

"(SHUT UP! I didn't come here to make her my mate!)" Red growled back through Message.

" _No, but you're still gonna fuck 'er brains out. Hehehehehe. I ain't babysittin' your any screaming shit machines she squeezes out, so don't even ask. Mama can do it"_ Charizard growled back, snickering to himself.

" _Charizard shit up before Master puts you in your place again!"_ Blade interjected, before Red had the chance. _"Master you cannot afford to not take this chance, she may be the only female willing to put up with you. Without her you may never have the chance to pass on your blood to the next generation"_

"(I fucking hate both of you! I'm _not_ gonna mate with Serena!)" Red silently snarled back.

" _Twen'y berries and a carcass says they're Mates by sundown"_ Charizard growled, his words meant for Blade.

" _I will take that bet"_ Blade quickly responded.

"(Just shut the fuck up already! That carcass can't be anyone from her territory either, so don't get any ideas. Neither of you are allowed to hurt anyone there, unless they attack us first. Got it?!)"

" _As you wish, Master"_ Blade respectfully said.

" _I promise nothing"_ Charizard growled.

Serena's eyes finally open and meet with his once again, instantly removing any and all traces of thought from their minds and bringing her act of affection to an end. Her hands slide away from his, to slink their way around his neck once again, pulling his face a fraction of an inch closer to her own. The sound of her own heartbeat fills her ears, as a strange form of tension fills the air. One that fills them both with a singular, burning desire.

The hand of Red lifts away from her face, to brush through her luscious locks of hair and gently clasp the back of her head. His thumb slowly massages her scalp, leaving her unable to make even the smallest of movements against him. Not that she has any intention of sullying this moment, the moment she has dreamed of ever since she was a little girl.

Her conscious min begins to shut down, as years of pent up desire and lust finally come to the surface. The gap between them begins to close, the heat from his breath against her lips sends chills down her spine. Her lips twitch in anticipation, for what will be her first kiss. The anticipation for what is to come weighs down her eyelids, making them so heavy she can't keep them open for even a moment longer. They come to a close, blocking out what little remains of the world around her, while allowing her imagination to run wild. Red's own eyelids grow heavy, before falling shut.

After what feels like an endless eternity, their skin finally tastes the warmth of the other's. A surge of heat runs through the teenage beauty's face, flowing through her body and into the core of her soul. A soft moan ekes its way from her lips, one she makes no effort to hide. With their foreheads pressed together, they support one another and share the warmth of their blood. Together they take a single deep breath in through their noses, taking in the other's scents and smells.

"I've missed you Serena… So much" Red whispered.

"I've missed you too Red… More than you could possibly know" Serena breathed back.

While this contact is not what Serena had imagined or anticipated it would be, she holds no disappointment. A sense of comfort, bliss and closeness comes from their point of contact; one that she never expected could come from such and unusual act. "Apart for many suns… Together again for many moons" He whispered.

As his words enter the world, Serena's hands run through his overly long hair, the same as he did to her. She tries to speak, to say something in return, but no words come to mind. Instead she remains silent, enjoying the comfort and warmth from his touch. Long ago they were torn apart by forces beyond their control; the cruel hand of fate intertwined their destinies, only to pull them apart again… But the hand of fate can be kind as well as cruel, as it has finally brought them back together again. For a moment the two of them remain fixed to the spot, savouring the bliss and comfort that comes from holding the other close.

"Serena, this is called the Erostarcy" He thought, his words echoing through her mind, sounding as powerful and gentle as his voice. She makes no moves to break their contact, despite hearing the thoughts of another in her mind. "This is how we say hello to our friends back home. If we haven't seen each other in a while, we say 'apart for many suns, together again for many moons'"

She takes another breath through her nose, taking in another nose full of his stench. "Erostarcy?" She thought, her voice echoing throughout his mind, just as sweet and joyful as her spoken voice. A small smile forms across her face as she mentally giggles. "You do this to say hello? Why not just say hello?"

With a smirk across his hair covered face, he releases his hold over her and pulls his flesh away from hers, breaking the Erostarcy. "We do. Only close friends, family and Mates do the Erostarcy"

A disappointed groan pushes its way up Serena's throat, but is held back by her tongue; she wanted that moment between them to last forever. She briefly wonders which category they fall into, and will one day fall into. "Did we just talk with our thoughts?"

A swift nod of his head answers her question. "Erostarcy involves linking our minds together, while our foreheads are touching anyway. Pokémon are lucky, they just touch foreheads… Boom. They're connected. They feel a little of what the other feels and hear their thoughts as their own. Took me fucking forever to figure out how to do it, but now it's easy and natural, like breathing"

Concern floods through his being like a burst dam, he didn't explain what it was or anything! He just went ahead and made her do it… Did he frighten her? Plenty of people are afraid of him, and rightly so, but he doesn't want her to be afraid of him… Not her. "S-Serena… Sorry. Humans don't do that, I should have asked first" He said, with a look of genuine regret across his face.

Serena can clearly see through his mask of regret, to see the concern he feels for her. Close contact is obviously natural and normal for him, so he didn't think twice about doing it with her. He was comfortable enough with her to be himself. But such close contact isn't normal for most people and certainly not for her, but at the same time it felt so natural… So warm… So… Intimate.

It… It almost felt like a kiss.

The feeling of blood rushing to her soft and tender face, turning her cheeks a rosy shade of red, makes a timid smile form across her lips. Suddenly aware of a how bright her face has become, she turns her head away from him and holds her hands behind her back. "It's… It's OK" She timidly said. Her eyes turn back to him, rebelling against her mind's orders. "I… I liked it"

As she speaks, Red's arms rise from his sides to cross against his chest, the innocent look of embarrassment across her face takes away the regret across his own and her nervous stammer draws a faint smile across his lips. "Good" He slowly looks around his surroundings, as though searching for something. "Serena, I think it's time we get out of here. Where's your territory?"

Grateful for the change of topic, Serena giggles girlishly. "My house is close by Red" She said, timidly offering her hand out to him, drawing his attention back to her. "C-come on… I'll show you the way"

For a moment he stares at her hand, as if pondering whether or not to accept it. She wants to hold his hand? Why? Neither of them are children who could get lost, so there's no need for it. Maybe there's another reason for it that he simply doesn't know, what could it be? She wouldn't offer her hand freely to him for nothing, there must be a reason behind the gesture. Deciding it's better to do as she asks, Red firmly, yet gently, grasps her hand. "Fine. Let's go"

With a broad smile across her blushing face, she turns towards the edge of the forest clearing and begins the journey back to her home. Dragging her oldest friend along with her. As she tugs him into the treeline, his eyes sharpen into a focused state, giving way to his razor sharp senses, which stand ready for even the faintest of stimulants. "I haven't forgotten about you, you sick son of a bitch!" He thought, knowing the one he searches for can hear him. "I'm ready for you. And this time you won't escape"

* * *

The streets of Vaniville now seem to be an endless road of staring eyes and paranoid whispers, at least to teenage eyes of Serena. Ever since they first set foot in her new home town, all eyes have turned to look at them both, Red in particular. Maybe it's his extreme amount of facial and head hair, possibly it's the filth and stench that clings to him and follows them both around, or maybe it's the evil glares and occasional snarls he gives them… Whatever the reason, people have been staring at them, as well as making judgemental comments. This, and the fear that Red might start doing more than just giving unfriendly gestures in return, drives Serena to take as many shortcuts as possible.

An elderly woman passes the teenagers, connected by their held hands, giving them a disapproving scowl as she goes. "Disgusting" She openly spoke. "This generation has no respect. People like that should be allowed outside. It's absolutely disgusting"

At the sound of her raspy voice, both the teenager comes to a stop and turn to face her. Red's sharp eyes turn on her, forming a death glare powerful enough to make a Staraptor shiver. His lips curl into his gums, exposing his teeth in a deep animalistic growl. Simultaneously, his free hand clenches into a tight fist, ready to strike the sagging flesh and weak bones of the rude crone. Her flesh is old and wrinkled, so much so that her muscles can provide little to no strength whatsoever. The white sticks she would call bones are so old and weak, they couldn't stand against even the weakest of blows. He could probably push her to the ground, and her hip would shatter… All it would take is a single swipe of his talons and she'd cease to be a blight upon the world. Maybe her weak heart will give out before she can hit the ground.

The thought of his talons running through her saggy flesh, the warmth of her blood against his fingers, drains the strength from his fist. His fingers flex out, as his talons begin to form at their tips. A single swipe and she will die.

"Who the Hell do you think you are? How dare you speak about him like that!" Serena spat. The venomous tone of her normally soft and gentle voice snatches Red from his dark thoughts and makes him hesitate. "You say our generation has no respect, but _you're_ the only one who's been rude you old bitch! Do the world a favour and do what you should have done a long time ago… DROP DEAD AND FEED THE WORMS!"

With a horrified gasp, befitting that of a banshee, the rude elderly woman shuffles off, muttering curses as she goes. Red's eyes remain fixed on her for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should end her life. "Are you OK Red? Red?" Serena asked, concerned for him.

"I'm fine" He replied, without removing his eyes from the rude woman. Deciding that she will fall prey to Death's talons soon enough without him, he turns to face Serena and sheathes his talons. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that. I'm impressed"

"Well… She had no right to talk to you like that, just 'cause you stink and look different. But we'll fix that once we get home" She added with a smile.

With those words the teens resume their walk, hand in hand. Red's thoughts are dominated by the familiar, yet unwelcome scent, the same scent that sent fear down his spine. "You're still watching, aren't you? Waiting for the perfect chance to attack. If I knew where you were hiding, I'd rip the skin off your bones and bathe in your blood. Grow a pair of balls and face me, you mother fucking coward"

* * *

"This is your territory?" Red said, unimpressed. "It's tiny. Your Alpha must be very weak"

"It's my house yeah" Serena replied, with a roll of her eyes.

A white picket fence marks the edge of the Yvonne household, as well as bringing a homey feel to the front lawn. A black iron gate provides entrance to the property; an oak wood plaque hangs from its bars. A single word has been carved into the wood, "Yvonne". The house itself has white walls, painted to hide the brickwork beneath. A few traditionally square windows break up the sheen of white. A small patch of deep green climbs across the left side of the building, ivy that has been allowed to grow, adding character and colour to the home. Short grass covers the earth, along with small stones that together form a walkway to the front door. Above the black front door, with a brass knocker hanging from it, a small black box is attached to the wall. A tiny blinking red light sits atop this box, with a tiny circular hole beneath it, in which lies a glassy sheen.

On the right side of the house, that has been made a home, lies a flat stone slab. Lying atop this slab is a sleeping Pokémon, one whose bulky frame is supported by four short and stubby legs, her skin is grey in colour and covered in short, blunt spikes which could be used as a saddle. A small, blunt horn lies at the end of her snout. She's a Rhyhorn, a Ground and Rock type Pokémon, and her eyes are shut for sleep.

The eye of Red is quickly drawn to the blinking light above, and by the extension the black box beneath it. While its origin and purpose are a mystery to him, he is all too aware of what it is. "Machines" He bitterly thought. "The mark of humans" The sight of such a device offends his eye, not wishing to be offended any further, he crosses his arms and turns his eye towards the sleeping Rhyhorn instead.

"That's Rhyhorn" Serena said, drawing his eye towards her instead, but not freeing his arms. "She and Mom used to race together in competitions, all across the world. But now she's retired, at least for the most part, she just practises with me now"

His eye travels back to the sleeping Rock type, watching as her body rises and sinks with every breath. Rhyhorn, one of the species of Pokémon that isn't able to speak… Are they even smart enough to understand speech? Maybe they can learn the meaning of certain words, trained to associate them with something. His time living in nature has taught him many things about Pokémon, including the fact that not all of the different species able to speak or think like humans, that many of them are just instinct. But that does not give reason to treat them like they're stupid; they still have thoughts and feelings and deserve to be treated right. Hunting them is another matter altogether, life comes from death after all. But if they are kept for a purpose, then they must be treated fairly and with respect. Fortunately this Rhyhorn seems to be in good health, whoever trains her must treat her the way she deserves and cares for her properly. This simple thought draws a smile to his face, even in the human world, Pokémon are still Pokémon.

"I called Mom on the way and let her know we're coming, she said Dad got up and freaked out 'cause I wasn't there. But… He probably knows we're back" Serena said, looking up at the camera above the door. Thoughts of her father's paranoid fantasies enter her mind, of how he believes their home is constantly under threat from the unknown enemy. "Come on, let's go around the back, I can reintroduce you to Charla before I have to try and tell Mom you're here"

* * *

The wooden gate previously prevented entrance into the yard swings open, allowing the teens to pass through. Short blotches of grass protrude from the dusty, well-trodden earth. This earth has been used for training grounds for Rhyhorn racing for many years, rendering it unable to support vast amount of life. Only small patches of grass may survive here now. In the centre of this barren yard, a single tree grows, standing taller than the house itself and thicker than Red's shoulders are wide. Its trunk is so thick and strong, that it would likely be able to support even Charizard's full weight without risk off falling. The leafs that allow it to survive, by performing photosynthesis, are thriving with life and sunlight, being deep green in colour. However, only a few patches of this vibrant green can be seen through the sea of pink blossom that has swallowed this ancient plant. Surrounding the edges of this slice of the town, a tall wooden fence resides. Blocking out the view of the world, it easily reaches seven feet high and is covered in barbed wire. Obviously someone wants to keep something from entering this place, or perhaps they're trying to keep someone _in_. The house itself has a defining feature, across its back wall. Across its right side, or left as one would look at it, there lies an abnormally large window. This goliath of glass allows vast amounts of daylight to flood the living room, illuminating it without the need for electricity. Beside this overly large window, lies a thick glass door, that provides both entrance to the home and the garden. Depending on which side of it one stands. Atop this building resides yet another poorly hidden camera, like the one above the front door, the one is encased in a black box with a blinking red light. If the blinking light is any indication, the owner is using it to gain a view into their home's boundaries.

Lying beside the large plant is another living creature, matching Charizard in appearance, with a few differences. This fully evolved Kanto starter is much smaller than the one Red calls brother, not quite reaching the standard size for a Charizard, but perhaps that is because she is younger than he is. Atop her right horn, a pretty pink bow has been placed, matching Serena's in both style and colour. Despite being smaller than Charizard, Charla's tail flame burns just as bright and vibrant. Charla's side slowly rises and falls as she breathes, deep in sleep and vibrant. Charla's side slowly rises and falls as she breathes, deep in sleep after completing her morning exercise. Her foot shakes every so often, giving an insight into her dreams.

Their male scans the garden, taking in its aspects and analysing it with a critical eye. Confusion fills him upon seeing the twisted metal atop the fence, he asks no questions, not wanting to know or caring why it is there. His interest is instead focused on the sleeping mass of orange scales; the sight of her pink bow turns the gears and cogs that comprise his empty head, slowly building up a picture that holds a place in his cold heart and resides in his pocket.

Her name bursts into his mind, dropping his jaw as it does. "That's Charla. But… She's… She's… When did she evolve?"

"A few months ago. Why?" She answered, with her head tilted to the side, just as confused as he is.

"WHAT?! A few months ago?!" He practically screamed, shocked beyond comprehension by this revelation. "Th-that doesn't make any sense. H-how could she evolve so quickly? Does she battle a lot?"

"Keep your voice down. If you wake her up, you can deal with her bad mood" Serena said with an angry glare, making him shuffle nervously for a moment. "No, she doesn't battle, but I _have_ had her for ten years you know"

The electric blue eyes of Red dilate under the weight of her words, leaving little of their colour to be seen. His jaw hangs freely, swinging in the wind. During the many years he was away from the world in which he was born, he never once gave thought as to how long he'd been away. Foreseeing these events gave him an insight as how long he'd been away, but at most he thought two, maybe three years. Neither he nor Charizard had ever even considered being away for ten years… It had never entered their heads.

His hand cups across his mouth, bot closing it and preventing drool from falling from his lips. "T-ten years?" He muttered, suddenly aware that he has a working tongue. "Oh god… Have, have I really been away that long?" Serena nods her head, confirming it to be true. The weight of this revelation quickly becomes too much for his legs to handle, he finds himself leaning up against the wall, with his hand still clamped around his mouth. "Holy fucking shit… I'm so sorry Serena. I should have come back a long time ago, even for just a couple days, I'm so sorry"

There were times where Serena wondered if he really was coming back for her, times where she wanted to hate him and let him go. But her heart refused to believe it, refused to accept that he had lied to, or forgotten, her. But none of that matters anymore, he's here now and that's what counts.

"It's OK, so long as you keep your promise I'll forgive you" She said sweetly. "I gotta go inside and try and break the news to Mom. She's not gonna believe that you're back. So just give me five minutes, then come on it OK?"

"Yeah OK" Red said, dropping his hand and nodding his head. Serena enters her home, leaving him alone in the yard with her sleeping starter.

Before the teenager can do more than lift his head to gaze up at the sky, the first Pokémon he ever captured bursts free from his Pokéball in a flash of white light. The sheen of the light fades, revealing a bipedal beetle like Pokémon with large pincers at the ends of its arms. A red metal like exoskeleton covers this Pokémon's body, holding its body in shape and providing a natural means of defence. Its head has three tall points, growing out the top of it, like the rest of its body these are also covered by the protective natural armor. The Pokémon's body is divided into three sections, the head, the torso and the abdomen, the latter of which bares black strikes against them. A set of thin, bug like wings protrude from its back, not powerful enough to allow flight, and likely a redundant aspect of its body. The legs that keep this Pokémon standing are thin and twig like, lacking toes in place of a single white point out the front and back, where the feet should be. Thin arms hang from its shoulders, which are more armor like in appearance, at the end of these thing and wirery arms lie it's most notable and distinctive feature. A set of overly large pincers, which seem too big to be lifted by such thin arms. These natural weapons bear a black and yellow eye like pattern across their sides, perhaps they are used as a means of confusing its prey. Finally, this Pokémon's eyes are a piercing shade of yellow, looking so sharp that they'll cut the flesh of whatever they lock onto.

The Scizor locks his razor sharp glare onto the man he calls Master, and Brother. Red returns his glare in equal measure. "What? What's that look for?"

" _You are a moron Master"_ Blade said solemnly, crossing his pincers in exactly the same fashion as Red did earlier. _"We have lived in our home for ten winters now, how could you not know ten years had passed?"_ He does not wait for an answer, he simply continues. _"You did not know there is only one winter per year, did you?"_

The human male turns away from Blade sharply. "Fuck you" He spat. "And for the fuck-knows-how-many time! Stop calling me Master!"

Blade's unblinking eyes remain fixed on his Master, their sharp gaze boring into his skull. _"I am as much a Warrior as you Master, and like you I follow the Warriors code. The code commands that I call you Master; you are my teacher, trainer, guide and my closest friend… To call you anything less than Master would be a great insult on both your honour and mine"_

With a heavy sigh, Red drops his head down low, along with his eyelids. "Blade… You know why I don't like being called 'Master'" A mixture of pain and fear resides in his trembling voice. "I'll ask you nicely… Again. _Please_ don't call me Master"

The razor sharp eyes of Blade soften slightly, gaining a sympathetic sheen to their surface. _"You are not him, Master. You are a completely different man…"_ The Pincer Pokémon bows his head respectfully, and presses his right pincer against the left side of his chest. _"Apologies Master. Forgive me"_

While Blade's actions are a sign of respect, to the auburn haired man. "Shut up apologising. Just keep watch, if he shows his face just hold him off. _Don't_ try to fight him seriously" He growled angrily.

" _I am aware of the plan, Master. Would it not be best to keep Charizard out as well? Without him there is no plan"_

"Good point" He replied, nodding his head. Without uttering a single word, he releases Charizard into the confined space Serena called a yard. The overgrown dragon lies before the tree, beside his curled up counterpart, sleeping like a baby. "Make sure he doesn't hurt her, if he does, beat his head in until I get here" With a nod of his head, Blade acknowledges and accepts his orders.

* * *

"I don't care who he says he is, you are _not_ bringing him in my house!" Grace screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I don't care what you say, he's my friend and I'm gonna take care of him!" Serena screamed back. "He only needs a makeover and some new clothes! Shauna back me up here!" Turning towards the third party in the room, as she ends her scream.

A young woman sits on the living room's couch, while Grace and Serena argue in the middle of the room, trying not to get involved with their domestic issues. Her hair is long, long enough to be tied off into a pair of curly pigtails and brown in colour. A pair of light green eyes dart nervously between Serena and her mother. She wears a pink blouse, with a bowtie print across the front and a pair denim shorts.

"I'm staying out of this one" Shauna said, a nervous expression across her face. This argument between Mother and Daughter has only been raging for a few minutes, but it already feels like an eternity.

Serena hurls a death glare her friend of the past decade, before turning back to her Mother. "Come on Mom! I've never once brought a boy home before, but this is different! It's Red! _Red!_ From back in Kanto! He just needs a clean-up and some new clothes, it's not that big a deal!"

Grace opens her mouth to continue their argument, but her words are cut short before they are even properly formed. "WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!" She desperately clutches her nose both hands, to try and black the overpowering stench that makes her eyes water; she is quickly joined by Shauna. Unlike the other women in the room, Serena smiles at the stench, Red has entered the building, now her Mom has no choice but to let her help him.

"Serena?! Where are you?" Red called out.

Aiming a smug grin at her mother, Serena crosses her arms and calls back to him. "I'm in here Red, come on through"

* * *

"Not the ear! Not the ear! Not the ear!" Red whined. Serena's powerful grip across the rather sensitive part of his anatomy causes him no end of pain, granting her the ability to drag him throughout the house. To the upstairs bathroom specifically.

"Be quiet" She sternly replied, before twisting his ear mercilessly, making him cry out in pain. "Don't you dare say anything so rude to either Shauna or Mom again. Do you understand me?" Her words carry steel behind them, leaving no room for negotiation.

With a twist of the doorknob, the door to the fairly standard bathroom opens. Having a walk in shower in one corner, instead of a bathtub. A small window allows a little natural light to pour in, which is reflected by the generic white and black tiles across the wall, making it seem like there's more light than there actually is. The sterling white sink basin and cabinet are Serena's goal and target of interest.

Without waiting for an answer, Serena drags her helpless victim into the bathroom. "Now I'm going to let you go and you are going to behave yourself. Understood?" As she speaks, she both shuts the door and locks it. Preventing Red from escaping and stopping any unwanted visitors from interrupting them. Red begrudgingly agrees to her terms, anything so long as this humiliation comes to an end.

With an amused smirk across her face, she releases her grip across his weak point. "Good boy. Now go stand over there while I get the tools ready" Gesturing towards the toilet as she speaks.

The sterling white bowl reflecting the light of the bulb hanging from the ceiling enters the male's line of sight, bringing with it a vague sense of familiarity. "What is it?" He thought, staring into the clear water within, that spurs a dry scratchy feeling in his bone dry throat.

Opening the cabinet door, Serena carefully selects the tools she will need. Her subject's hair is… In less than ideal condition. It's almost as long as her own, which isn't too much of a problem, but the dirt and grease are gonna make it tough to cut. Maybe she should clean it first, that'd make it easier to cut. Ideally his hair needs to be shorter, but not as short as hair clippers would make it. No, it needs to be shorter, but long enough to be wild and messy, just like it was when they were kids. She's never really liked neat and tidy hair on man; the natural messy look has always been her favourite. The beard. It has to go; it's too long and disgusting. Some stubble would be perfect though, the rugged look is just what she likes, and it'd _feel_ even better against her hands. Just the thought of rubbing her hands across his thick stubble covered face sends shivers down her spine, making her knees shake. "It might tickle my face… I can't wait" She thought gleefully.

Turning her thoughts back to the task at hand, she catches the sight of a pair of steel scissors. They'll probably be the best thing to use on both his hair and beard, then she could try using a pair of hair clippers with a guard to finish his facial hair off.

The sound of splashing water crashes against her ears, disrupting her finished thoughts. Where's that water coming from? The taps aren't on, the shower's off and neither of them has used the toilet, so where's it coming from? "Oh please don't say a pipe's burst again. Maybe Red touched something" She thought, turning to ask him to either confirm or deny her suspicions. But instead finds a sight that sends her stomach into a frenzy of churns and gurgles.

Crouching down beside the toilet bowl, with his left hand clutching the seat while his right delves into the basin, to claim the thirst quenching liquid within, is Red. His hand rises out, with a small amount of clear water cupped within it. He drinks it down in a single gulp, leaving beard dampened slightly.

"Red stop it!" She cried out, as her stomach rose up her throat. Upon the call of her voice, he turns back to her, water dripping from his lips and confusion written across his face. "Why're you drinking from _that_?!"

"I'm thirsty" He said flatly, as if saying the sky is blue.

"You disgusting pig! You don't drink from the toilet!" She screamed, as her face turned a lovely shade of green.

Toilet. The word circles around his pea sized brain, as if it's something he once knew, but has long since forgotten. "Toilet? Why's that sound fam-" He doesn't finish, as the answer to his question forms in his mind. His grip across the seat tightens, as he slowly turns back to look at the sterling white bowl again. "Oh god…" He whispered, disgusted with himself.

"In case you've forgotten… WE PISS AND SHIT IN THAT THING!" She screamed, covering her mouth both her hands after finishing, tightly gripping it to try and stop herself from tasting her half-digested breakfast again. The same cannot be said for Red though, his cheeks inflate with vomit. Desperate, he turns to Serena, as if pleading for help. "In the toilet! Puke in the toilet!" She screamed, as she turns towards the sink and tries not to look. Not needing to be told a third time, Red takes aim and projectile vomits into the toilet bowl. Regurgitating his last meal into the sterling white surface, while his free hand struggles to hold his overly long hair back.

A series of knocks at the door provides a welcome distraction from the sight Serena has just witnessed. "What?!" She called out, so her voice can be heard above the sounds of Red's suffering.

"What's going on in there? What's with all the yelling?" Shauna called back, through the door.

At the sound of Shauna's voice, the disgust lurking in Serena's gut turns to rage. She hasn't seen her closest friend in years, he likely hasn't seen civilisation for many years, so she brings him home to clean him up and give him some new clothes that actually fit him properly, and what's the first thing he does? Insult her Mother and one of her best friends, then drinks from the fucking toilet. Did he lose _all_ his brain cells in the wild?!

Ripping the door open without so much as a passing glance at Shauna, Serena marches up to Red, while his head remains hunched over the bowl and his hands desperately cling to both the seat and his hair. Her anger throbs across her forehead, in the form of a pulsing, purple vein. "You pig!" She screamed. With a swift and merciless kick, she introduces her right foot to his ass, making Shauna wince in sympathy.

"What's going on here? Why'd you kick the poor bastard? He looks sick" Shauna said, sympathetically. Fear runs down her spine, as Serena turns her angry snarl against her. An angered Serena must be avoided at all costs.

"I turn my back one fucking minute and this pig drinks from the toilet!"

"Oh god… You disgusting… Irrational… PIG!" Shauna screamed, for lack of a better insult.

Groaning into the bowl, Red lifts his head out from it. His beard damp with a combination of water and vomit, he drops his ass down beside the toilet. "You could've warned me" He groaned.

He shouldn't have said that, he really shouldn't have said that… Shauna slaps her hands across her mouth, as her fear drips down her face and her eyes focus on the living volcano that is now Serena. Serena's hands fall to her sides, formed into fists so tight they visibly tremble. She turns towards him, her face black as thunder, eyes burning with unforgivable rage and her pupils the size of pinheads. "What? What did you just say?" She asked, her voice forcibly calm.

In a desperate attempt to defuse the human volcano, Shauna darts for the still open cupboard and grabs the bottle of mouthwash from inside. She launches said plastic bottle at Red, in a flash it collides with his head and drops onto the floor in front of him. "Rinse your mouth out!"

Picking up what was thrown at him, Red stares at its contents, completely and utterly baffled by it "Ugh, what's this?"

The look across his face is, in Serena's eyes, the most adorable look of confusion ever. It's so cute; she finds her anger melting away, along with her heart. Instead of dunking his head in the toilet water and pulling the handle down, giving him a nice swirly, she crouches down before him and takes the bottle from his grasp. "Let me help you" She said sweetly, with a loving smile across her face.

"What is it anyway?" He asked, wiping away the remains of the vomit from his mouth, with the back of his clean-ish hand.

His question falls on deaf ears, as the powerful scent of mint has Serena distracted. If the smell is this strong, just how much will it burn his mouth? "Oh well, serves you right." She thought, as she handed the capful of mint flavoured fluid to him. Red stares into the blue fluid, as though it's the result of a drunken mistake. "Whatever you do, _don't_ drink it. Swirl it around your mouth, and _spit_ it into the toilet"

Trusting her not to give him anything dangerous, or deadly, he drops the foul smelling liquid into his mouth and hands the cap back to Serena, who screws it back on the bottle and stands back up to put it away again. "Why did he drink from the toilet?" Shauna asked, with confusion across her face.

"He thought it was something to drink from" Serena said, as she deposited the bottle back and turned towards her. The confusion across Shauna's face deepens; sensing she has further questions, Serena pre-emptively shakes her head. "I don't get it either"

"He's even stupider than he looks"

"Ggggwwwaaaaaagggggghhhhhh!" Red yelled, from his sitting position beside the toilet, snatching both of the young women's attentions. Dropping to the floor, he thrashes his legs and torso around, as though in great pain, while his hands desperately clutch his throat. His face burning brightly.

"I told you not to swallow it" Serena sighed, having instantly recognised his problem. She crosses her arms and shakes her head in disappointment and frustration, men never do listen. Thinking similar thoughts, Shauna covers her mouth to try and block out the laughter that now threatens to fill the room.

While the majority of his body continues to thrash about like a Magikarp out of water, he manages to point a hand out aggressively at Shauna. "YOU! You poisoned me!" He hissed.

With yet another sigh, Serena drops her arms and casually walks to his side. Not to offer him any form of aid however, merely to flush the offending vomit away down the pipework and out of sight. All the while Shauna continues to giggle like a school girl, whoever this guy is, he's really stupid… But she always did like her men dumb. With the disgusting substance removed from sight and mind, Serena presses her hands on her filth covered hips and glares at her childhood crush. "It's not poison you moron. It's called mouthwash, you use it to freshen your breath and remove foul tastes from your mouth. _If_ you spit it out. But since you decided not to listen to me and swallowed it, you get to feel the burning in your throat"

He looks up at her with a pair of pleading and somewhat innocent looking eyes, in an attempt to coax a little sympathy from her. "She poisoned me… I'm dying" He moaned, while gently clutching her leg.

No sympathy is to be found in her unforgiving gaze. "I told you _not_ to drink, it's your own fault" She coldly said, kicking his hand off her leg.

He shuts his eyes and brings his pointless thrashing to an end, he's already been humiliated enough for one day. His throat feels as though it's swallowed raw fire, the burning is indescribable, and the after taste… Ugh. It's indescribable. "I'm never touching mouthwash again"

While he moans and amends his list of safe to use bathroom products, Serena opens the shower door and turns towards him, an evil smirk across her normally soft and gentle face. For the moment, he's lying on the ground, defenceless… She's goanna enjoy this.

"What're you gonna do to me?" He whined, staring into the evil eyes she now sports.

Serena's intentions quickly become clear, she grabs the hand that mere moments ago was clutching at her leg in a simply adorable display of fear, and begins tugging on him. "Oof! You're fucking heavy!" She complained. Quickly realising what she's planning to do, Shauna joins in, grabbing his other hand and helping Serena pull him towards the shower. However, no matter how hard the young ladies pull, he won't budge. He's simply too heavy.

"What're you doing?" He asked, alternating his look between them both.

"Trying to pull your arm off. What's it look like we're doing? We're trying to move you ya fat lump" Serena irritably said. She tries again to shift his Mamoswine weight with another yank, but the result is the same. She doesn't know why she said that, there probably isn't even a single ounce of fat on him.

"You could have just asked" He said, tugging his arms free and pulling himself back into a sitting position. "Where'd you want me?"

"You've got puke all over your face, we're trying to move you into the shower to get rid of it" Serena said firmly, pointing towards the shower, while simultaneously attempting to seem intimidating.

For a moment Red stares into the shower, confused by it. Vague memories of such devices scratch at his mind, giving hints as to their purpose, but never lifting the veil of ignorance that clouds his mind. Deciding it's simply better to trust Serena, he shuffles his way back and drops his head and shoulders through the glass doorway, leaving the rest of his body hanging out. "Happy?"

The evil grin that previously dominated Serena's face, turns itself into a smile, a smile filled with shock and disbelief; she can't believe he just did that. And so easily… She just had to ask? "I'll have to remember that" She thought. Not giving him the chance to realise his mistake, she quickly spins the cold tap all the way around. Without even a second's delay, an ocean of icy cold water falls from the metallic shower head, down onto Red's unsuspecting face and shoulders. Each and every drop stabs into his flesh, like a tiny icicle.

"Aaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed, not unlike a little girl, as he struggled and thrashed around in a desperate attempt to escape the icy blast. "Cold! I don't _do_ cold!" He never should have trusted these harpies; they've tricked him into bathing! Serena was expecting a reaction like this and has already formulated a counter attack. She strategically presses the ball of her foot against his groin, if he manages to push himself out of the shower, he'll crush his own balls. The perfect plan. The moment her foot comes into contact with his most sensitive spot, his attempts for freedom come to an abrupt end. He lifts his head up to see which one of them has him prisoner, his soaking wet hair and beard cling to him like glue. "Oh come on! That's not fair!" He whined.

Serena lightly presses her foot down, not hard enough to hurt him, but just enough to silently inform him, that she's in control now. Her smile becomes a smirk, her arms cross under her breasts and cackles at his desperate plea. Slowly she leans her head in closer, just enough for the chill of the water to hit her skin. "Don't you 'cum on' me mister. You _will_ behave and be a good boy"

The instant the words leave her lips, she realises her mistake… However, she doesn't allow the unintended innuendo to affect her; she remains perfectly composed on the surface. However, inside she is blushing horrendously and screaming at the top of her lungs. Shauna however is not bound by humiliation, she freely giggles into her hands without shame.

For the longest moment imaginable, Red scowls at his captors, focusing most of it on Serena. Then, he simply gives up, his head drops down with a heavy thud and he sighs, resigned to his fate. "I'll get you for this. It might take a while, but I'll get you for this" Serena silently sighs in relief, thank god Red's as dense as a doornail.

* * *

"There, that's much better" Serena said, a beaming smile across her face, as she marvels at her handiwork.

All the excess hair that covered both Red's head and face, now has a home in the bin at the corner of the room. His mature and rugged face is now exposed to the world, and to Serena's hungry eyes, his hair is once again wild and messy, just like it was when they were kids. What was once a full, thick and food filled beard, is now heavy, clean but rough stubble. The sour expression across his now revealed face is more than enough evidence, to prove that he did not enjoy that makeover. Not in the slightest.

"See I told you there was a handsome face under that hair. Now, all you need is a shower and some new clothes" The displeased look across his face remains perfectly intact; it fails to waver even in the slightest… It seems the prospect of bathing, doesn't sit too well with him. "So cute" She thought, with a girlish giggle.

"I'm not going through that torture ever again. No matter how much you cheat" He bitterly said.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad" She playfully said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "It wouldn't have been _way_ worse if I let Shauna help. She'd have put your hair in a bow. How did I cheat? I just made use of a weakness" She added with cheeky wink.

Before he can do more than glare vilely at her remark and insulting gesture, a knock at the door distracts their attentions.

"Mom that better not be you! I already told you, I'm spending the day with Red, that means I'm _not_ training!" Serena screamed, with an annoyed scowl across her face that comes from having already explained all this to Grace twice today. The door swings open, to reveal Shauna, smirking like the cat who caught the canary. "Oh, sorry Shauna. I thought you were Mom"

"Oh thanks a lot" Shauna said sarcastically. "I'm not old you know sister" Before she can say another word, her eye catches the sight of the recently shaved male. A silent gasp falls from her lips, which are quickly covered by a hand. Without the distraction of that excess hair, she can clearly see the other aspects of his anatomy in all their glory. "Serena you've outdone yourself, I thought he'd look like… Well _that_ forever"

Red's eyebrow raises itself high, the strange look the unknown female gives him, combined with those weird words, unnerves him slightly. Women have always been a mystery to him, and they always will be. "Stop fucking staring at me" He growled.

"I SAID DON'T BE RUDE TO HER AGAIN!" Serena yelled, making Red flinch under her razor sharp scowl.

"Alright alright. Geeze… Do I at least have your permission to check on Charizard? Or do I have to suffer more?" He quickly said. Shauna silently smirks at the scene before her, this is playing out just like one of her beloved soap operas.

"Hmm… Well I suppose you may go and tend to him, but I want you back within the hour to report for a shower and some new clothes" Serena playfully said, with a smile across her face. Crossing his arms, he gives her a look that silently asks if she's serious. Imitating his position, Serena leans into his personal space and whispers a warning. "If you don't come back… I'll hunt you down and drag your ass back by your ear. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am" He whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat and nodding his head.

The sudden and abrupt shift in power tickles Shauna's funny bone, making her giggle into her hands yet again. They say men have all the power in a relationship, that women just follow them and do whatever they want… But moments like this prove that is a lie. There is a balance of power in every relationship, but that balance can easily be disturbed and often favours the woman.

"Don't worry Serena; I'll make sure you get your boyfriend back in time. And I'll do what I can to keep your Dad out of your room" Shauna said, with a suggestive wink.

* * *

Time. Time goes by slowly, so slowly, when one is filled with pain. A few seconds feel like hours…

For the past several minutes, Serena has leant up against the bathroom door, having shooed out both Red and Shauna, when he started asking awkward questions, like 'What's boyfriend mean?' she's in enough pain, without having to deal with things like that.

While it has only been a few minutes, it has felt like hours for Serena. Hours in which she has been alone with her thoughts… Until she was alone, she forced her thoughts to be silent, in the hopes that by not hearing their voices, she'd be able to deal with the pain better. On the surface she may have been smiling, but inside, her heat was always screaming. Without an order to do so, from her conscious mind, her legs tuck themselves in against her chest and her arms wrap around them, stopping them from escaping. Silently, tears form and pool in her pain filled eyes, before rolling down her cheeks like drops of led.

The same questions rattle around in her mind, the same questions that have been constantly rattling around since Calem squeezed that trigger… Why?

Why did he do it? Why did he try to rape her? Why did he target her? Was it something she was wearing? Was it the way she walks?

And then, a new question slithers its way into her mind, devouring all the other questions as it goes.

Did she do something wrong? Was it her fault?

Every question draws more tears from her eyes, before long they're streaming down her face at full force, carrying the usual sounds that come from crying. She drops her head down, to cry into her knees freely.

She must have done something wrong, something to make him choose _her_. Calem has been asking her out for years, ever since she first moved to Kalos with her family… He must have asked her out thousands of times over the years. Always asking for the same thing, a date and a chance. She never once even thought of giving him either one… Maybe that's why he targeted her for his vicious attack. Because she never even gave him a chance. Maybe if she had, he wouldn't have tried to rape her.

"S-s-so… It… It _was_ my fault… I-I-I provoked him into doing it… It's all my fault" She whispered through her tears.

* * *

The normal razor sharp gaze of Blade, the Scizor, has been broken. Giving way to the raised brow that is now aimed at his Master. _"Master?… Is that really you? What happened to you?"_

"Yes. I look fucking stupid" He bitterly growled, his sour scowl still firmly planted across his face.

" _It will take time for me to adjust to this… Change, in your appearance. Have you evolved? No, you do not look stupid, you simply look more like a human"_

"No. I evolved a long time ago" He growled, throwing him a sharp glare. "That's even fucking worse. You seen any signs of him?"

" _Like it or not Master, you are and always will be, human"_ Blade stated. Aware that Red doesn't like talking about this subject, he lets it die. He shakes his head; to answer the question he was given. _"None. He has never attacked, any of us, during the day before. Today will be no different. He will strike as he always has, when the sun has set and he has the cover of the night sky"_ Turning a single eye to his Master, he speaks again. _"I know you inside and out Master, just as you know me… You are concerned about_ _him_ _, you are more than able to fend him off. You are worried about Serena, are you not?"_

At the mention of her name, Red's eyes drop down to the earth beneath their feet. The barren earth reflects the heat from the sun's rays, warming the soles of his callous covered bare feet. Even here, in this world, the earth is the same as back home. "Yeah…" He breathed back.

Blade's eyes fall shut, even without the connection in their Aura, he could easily understand what his Master is feeling. Never before have any of them encountered a situation like this before, a man trying to force a woman to mate with him… It's unheard of back in their home. Yes sometimes a guy will go too far in trying to garner the affections of a woman, but things like rape never occur. If anything the women are the ones who force men to be with them, making use of their Heat to weaken a man's resistance and then trapping them… But there are very few complaints. But none of them have ever been forced into being with someone; Blade himself is the only one of them who has ever even had a Mate.

All of this adds up to one conclusion, Red has no idea what Serena is going through, so he cannot help her get through it.

Blade turns towards him, offering a sympathetic gaze. _"Master… I think I might know a way you can help her. Do you remember when Nibbler was a baby?"_

"How can I forget?" Red quietly said, nodding his head. "We raised her… Our baby sister"

" _No"_ Blade said, his voice firm and unyielding. _"_ _You_ _raised her for those first precious weeks of her life. We both told you to let her die, that it was nature's course. You ignored us, and raised her single handedly. Went without food and water, so she could have some. It is all that kept her alive"_

The memory of his baby sister Nibbler, as a tiny baby Noibat, draws a faint smile across Red's face… She was so small, so defenceless and so god dam adorable. She still struggled against him whenever he had to give her a bath, or when her fur needed grooming. She could only squeak and try to gum things to death, but that was her best attack… Just being adorable. Even when they got a new family, she still wanted to be with her Big Brother as much as she could… Even now, she still loves to play with her Big Brother, despite being an almost fully mature Noivern.

"You didn't know her like I did… Neither of you did. But you learned, you both did" He breathed back.

" _There is an unmistakable bond between you both, never in all my life have I ever seen a bond as strong as yours is. The only other, who even comes close to you in her heart, is Charizard. Nibbler loves her brothers, more than anything, and that love is returned unconditionally… That is why I have no doubt, that you remember her nightmares"_

The sudden and abrupt change in topic wipes the smile from Red's lips, as though it was never even there. Silently he nods his head, not wanting to revisit the memory by speaking of it.

Satisfied that Red knows what must be done, Blade returns his attention to guarding this place. His senses return to their previous sharpness, leaving him ready for battle at a moment's notice. _"You know what you must do, Master"_

* * *

Steam fills the tiled bathroom, creating a thick fog like veil that swallows everything it comes into contact with. The source of this vapour? Water. Hot water. Standing amidst this scalding spray, is Serena, in the shower with the biggest hard bristle brush she could get her hands on.

"Dirty. So dirty" She murmured to herself, while scrubbing every of herself mercilessly. Her tender skin has become sore from a combination of the scrubbing and the hot water. "Still not clean. Still not clean… His filth is still on me" Her tears continue to fall from her eyes, only to become part of the water that both cleanses and stings her body. The sound of her crying is easily drowned out by the rushing water, no matter how sensitive the hearing, no one will be able to hear her cry.

" _This is your final warning. Try anything funny, and I'll put four bullets in you"_ Calem's voice echoed throughout her mind, enthralling her senses, holding them prisoner, just as he did when he threatened her life… Mere hours ago. _"You've been denying me for years… Well not anymore. It's time for me to get what I want. Whether you want to give it me or not"_

"Go away… Please go away" She weakly whimpered, shutting her eyes.

Calem's cold voice echoes in her mind again, sending painful chills through her legs. _"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah… That's not goanna happen. I'm in charge now, and you're goanna do what I say. If you resist or try to run away, I'll put a bullet in ya… It's up to you; we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way"_ A ghostly vision of a smoking steel revolver, aimed squarely at her heart, forms before her. Holding this weapon, teasing the trigger, is the opaque and detached hand of her attacker. The haunting sight of the weapon that came far too close to ending her short life, forces her trembling body into a frozen standstill. Every fibre of her being commands her to scream for help, to run and hide from him… But her body fails her instincts, she can't move.

"I can't move… I can't move. I can't move!" She thought, panic ringing with every syllable. Her eyes remain fixed on the weapon before her, she is powerless to do anything else. The hand that holds the means of ending life, while ghostly and translucent in appearance, is solid and sturdy enough to pull the hammer back… Leaving the trigger extremely sensitive. "I've gotta move or I'll die! PLEASE BODY JUST MOVE!" But no matter how hard she mentally screams, her body refuses to obey her.

Instead of following her life preserving orders, her body rebels against her, cutting off her sense of touch and with it the sensation across her body. Her body continues to tremble, but with nothing to hold it back, it grows far more powerful… Like a leaf caught in a powerful breeze. The only feeling that she has left, is the beating of her heart, which grows more powerful with every passing moment. The sound of the rushing water fades… Drowned out by the thumping of her heart.

Slowly, the smoking weapon rises from her chest, to her most prized asset, her beautiful face. She is forced to stare down the barrel of death, unable to even shut her eyes and block out her final sight. "Body please do something! _Anything!_ Someone save me! Please someone help!"

" _You belong to me now. You're_ _my_ _property! I_ _own_ _you!"_ The voice of her attacker called out. The itching trigger finger of the ghostly hand satisfies its dark hunger and squeezes the trigger. A powerful explosion bursts through the barrel, hurling out a hunk of hot led through the flames and into her face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Serena screamed, her soft voice sounding like nails being dragged across glass, stinging the ears and shattering the sense behind them. Everything fades into a crushing darkness, in which no light can shine.

A series of panicked knocks on the door break through the veil of silence that holds Serena prisoner. "Serena?! Serena?! Are you OK baby girl?! What's wrong?! Why are you screaming?!" Grace called through the door, sounding panicked and scared.

At the sound of her loving mother's panicked voice, Serena's eyes finally open and her lips suck in the deepest breath her lungs will allow. A flood of oxygen fills her starved blood, bringing with it a sudden concept of reality and blurred vision. For a brief moment, Serena gathers her senses as well as her thoughts… A series of deep breaths calms her enough to realise that what she just experienced, was not real. It was likely a hallucination, but it wasn't real. While that fact offers no comfort to her, it is a stabiliser. She is safe, for now.

"I-I'm OK Mom" She shakily called back, her voice cracking with the strain of her still overpowering fear. Grace responds faster than a bolt of lightning, screaming that she's coming in. "NO! I'm _trying_ to have a shower!" She screamed back. "Geeze, can't I have ten minutes to myself?! I just… Turned the water up too high, it burned a bit, that's all" Turning the taps as far as she can, the flow of water comes to a stop.

"Are you sure you're OK Serena? You did scream very loud" Grace called back.

"Mom do I have _permission_ to use the stove? Am I old enough to use it by myself yet?" Serena sarcastically said, to change the subject and shift her Mother's focus onto something besides her scream. "I wanna bake some Poképuffs for Red and his Pokémon. They've gotta be hungry"

"That's something else I want to talk to you about young lady, as soon as you're dressed we are going to have a talk. Understand?" Grace responded, with an annoyed tone.

Grace's tone betrays her, giving away the subject of the discussion she desires. "Mom do we have ta have the safe sex talk? Let's just skip it and I'll go straight on the pill, OK?" Serena replied with a sigh. Silence is Grace's response, telling Serena all she needs to know. "Fine. Just let me get dressed and we'll talk"

"That's more like it" The brown haired Mother replied, returning to her previous act of scrubbing away the footprints of filth Red has left behind.

Relieved beyond measure that she is alone once again, Serena drops down to the tiled floor with a gentle plop and allows her head to fall back against the glass doors. "Great. Now I have to have the sec talk. Just what I need" She bitterly sighed. A harsh talk about safe sex practises is not what any woman going through this kind of pain needs, let alone a woman who went through it only hours ago… What she really needs is a shoulder to cry on, a hug to make her feel safe, a kiss to make her feel loved. "What I really need is you Red" She muttered herself, her hand wandering across her left leg as she spoke, seeking out the scar that has helped her to feel good, whenever the bad has swallowed her.

Before her water wrinkled fingers are able to find their target, the door swings open sharply, allowing the built up steam to quickly flood out and into the hall. "Mom get out! I said we'd talk later!" She reflexively screamed, frantically covering her chest.

"Fuck, there's a lot of steam in here" A male voice said.

"RED?! What're you doing in here?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Despite having a razor sharp sense of sight, the thick veil of steam prevents Red from being able to see properly. "I wanna talk" He said casually, as though nothing is out of place or out of the ordinary. "Where're you? Can't see you"

"GET OUT!" She screamed back.

"But we need to talk" He said, slightly confused. Her hostility perplexes him, has he done something to offend her?

"JUST GET OUT ALREADY! Before I slap you, you pervert!" She screamed again, a great deal of anger in her voice.

"Ugh… OK" He said, confused by her screams and threat.

* * *

For several minutes Red waits outside the bathroom door, trying to figure out just what he could have done to offend her so much. Earlier she was being very clingy and affectionate, now all of a sudden she's turning aggressive… Women are incredibly confusing creatures, why can't they be simple? "I'll never understand women" He muttered.

Serena emerges from the newly converted sauna, which was meant to be a family bathroom, not a moment later. A tightly wrapped fluffy white towel clings to her freshly cleansed body, damped by the moisture that clung to her skin, the towel leaves little to the imagination… Her natural bust and cushion like ass are barely contained by the thin, damp fabric. A combination of the sheer volume of skin on show and a hormone fuelled teenager's imagination, coaxes foreign desires and unfamiliar urges from the pit of Red's pants. Said desires are pushed aside, and yet enhanced, by a murderous scowl across Serena's face. Before he can voice a single question, she thrusts her hand out towards her bedroom, silently ordering him to step inside. "Inside. Now" She growled.

Not wanting to risk provoking her further than he already has, Red quickly mutters a response that cannot be heard and steps inside the bedroom of his oldest friend, she quickly follows and locks the door behind them. To prevent unwanted intrusions from anyone else in the house, including her Mom's Fletchling. Her anger fuelled scowl remains firmly fixed to her face and locked onto his.

Fear steadily drips down his forehead and neck, powerful memories of Serena's anger flash before his mind's eye, reminding him just why he always fled whenever her furry was provoked. "Why're you pissed?" He shakily asked, while probing the room for a potential escape route.

"Well it might have something to do with you walking in on me, while I was in the shower you stupid moron!" She angrily growled. Her voice coaxes more sweat from his glands and makes him search more frantically for the escape route he so desperately needs. While his pride demands he stay and face her anger, his every survival instinct screams louder, pleading with him to run as fast as he can. "I've locked the door. You're not escaping" She growled.

"I-I-I don't know why you're s-so angry. W-what's the big deal?" He nervously stammered, backing up into the wall opposite her.

"I was _trying_ to shower after _you_ made me all dirty!" She screamed, stomping her way closer to him and forcing him to press himself up against the wall much harder. Attempting to put as much distance between them as possible. "You still don't fucking get it, do you?" She asked, seeing he doesn't understand her reasons for being angry. He nervously shakes his head, while whimpering that he doesn't. For a moment she angrily snarls into his face, choosing her next words carefully. "I'll spell it out for you. I. Was. NAKED! _That's_ the big deal!"

All traces of fear and being nervous fade from his eyes, supported by his demeanour. "Is that what this is about? Really?" His voice carrying his disbelief.

"Yes that's it!" She snarled, angered even further. " _Normal_ people don't like being spied on, especially while they're naked!"

"The fuck you talkin' about?" He asked, crossing his arms. "I wasn't spying on you, I just wanted to talk to you. What's the big deal anyway? Why does it bother you so much?"

The unexpected, and frankly baffling lack of regard for shame, leaves her momentarily speechless. Taking a step back, she collects her thoughts and blushes deeply. "What do you mean why does it bother me? Would you like someone staring at you when you're naked?!"

"No? Yeah? I don't know. What's the difference?" He asked, looking confused. "Back home everyone's always naked, except me and Maw Maw. But her dress is part of her… Does that count as being naked? Eh, it doesn't matter. Look, if I upset you, then I'm sorry. Didn't mean to"

Her lips part to speak, but her words are caught by her tongue before they can leave her mouth. What's the difference? What can she say to that? Regardless, she at least understands his actions. He's grown up living in nature, with nothing but Pokémon, it's no wonder he's got no sense of other people's shame. As he said, Pokémon never wear clothes, it's not like they're ever gonna tell him to get out they're naked.

Shutting her eyes, she sighs deeply. "You're a moron. Look, it may not matter to you, but it does matter to normal people and it matters to me, OK? I'll let you off the hook this time, just don't do it again. Now I need to get dressed, so…"

Silence falls across the bedroom, as he unsure what it is she expects of him. "Ugh…" He nervously shuffled, his eyes darting from side to side.

Knowing full well his intelligence levels are below that of a normal human being, she doesn't get too angry with him. Clutching the towel against her cleavage, she points out to the door. "Out. You can come back in once I'm dressed. Understand?"

"You want me to go outside?" He asked, looking at the door for a moment. "Why can't I stay?"

* * *

The Aura Knight named for the colour of his Aura leans against the hallway wall, beside Serena's door, rubbing his swollen and sore cheek. "She's scary when she's angry"

The door to young lady Serena's boudoir opens, having gotten changed into her clothes she stands in the doorway with her arms tucked in beneath her boobs, making them stick out even higher, and an amused grin across her face. A black sleeveless blouse covers her torso, but gives the eye no access to her cleavage. She wears a red mini skirt with two deep pockets at either side, and styled to be folded over on itself, with a pair of silky black stockings and black sneakers. "You can come back in now"

Sulking like a child denied candy, he does as she says and enters her room, still rubbing his stinging cheek. "It's your own fault you got slapped, you shouldn't have tried to peep on me again" She said playfully.

"I didn't. I didn't fucking understand what you meant" He grumbled.

"Man up already" She said, rolling her eyes and shutting the door. "Getting shot must have hurt more than a little slap"

"It wasn't a little slap" He grumbled, scowling at her. "It hurt worse than getting shot"

She smiles at the scowl across his face, as though he's a naughty child, trying to get his own way. "Big baby. Hey I meant to ask earlier, how come when you got shit it didn't hurt you?"

The memory of the speeding bullets, made from solid led, exploding out from the barrel of the gun and colliding with his flesh had all but been forced from his memories. The whole fight with her attacker is a blur of blood, screams and pain. Didn't he get stabbed too? Vague memories of the blade puncturing his flesh come to mind, but like the rest of the fight, it's all a blur. One thing that is clear within his brain though, is the name. Calem. That's a name that'll forever be burned into his tiny brain, he'll curse that name until he's able to crush its owner's skull in the palm of his hand.

While he ponders the past, Serena sits down on her bed, her eyes fixed onto him the whole time. "I think it did. Yeah, it stung like a bitch" Seeing the questioning, if uncertain, look within her eyes, he knows he must have done wrong. Again. "What? What'd I do now?"

The worry and fear within his eyes broadens Serena's smile, to her, such a look is absolutely adorable. "Sit down you moron, you haven't done anything wrong" Patting the free space beside her as she speaks.

Relieved that he's not going to feel the lash of another slap, no matter how deserved it was, he once again takes her up on her offer and sits down beside her. "If I ain't done nothin' wrong, why're you looking at me like that? You look like you wanna… I don't even know"

She's half his size, both in height and build, and is unarmed. What could she possibly do to harm a man like him? Nothing. And he's still a little bit scared of her. The thought makes her giggle like a little girl. "I'm not gonna hurt you, dummy. I'm just… Shocked. Only you could think there's nothing wrong with getting shot. Come on then, spill. Why didn't you die when he shot you?"

Not having an answer to give her, all he can do is shrug his shoulders. "No idea. Bullets don't do shit, but a tiny knife makes me bleed like a bitch" His words turn her gaze from his eyes to the point where he was stabbed, the denim is soaked with drying blood, it clings to his flesh in a crimson mess. The material is so saturated, that the cut can barely be seen. He took a knife to the thigh for her; he protected her with his own body…

"I wouldn't call it a little knife" She said, turning her focus back to his face, his handsome face. "It was pretty big"

"Ah that thing was tiny, mine's bigger" A confident smirk across his face, matching his voice. Blood fills her cheeks to blush feverishly, she tries to suppress a fit of girlish giggling by covering her mouth with both hands, but the occasional giggle passes through her lips. "What's so funny?" He asked, giving her a particular look.

"Red that's very interesting, but…" She struggles to think of the right way of phrasing her words without lying to him. The appropriate thing to say wouldn't be that she doesn't want to hear about his junk, because she does. She wants to hear everything about him, but it's hardly an appropriate thing to discuss. Especially since they're only friends… Could that be it? Is he trying to flirt with her? If so, he's terrible at it.

"What's wrong? Your face is all red, are you sick?" He asked, genuinely concerned for her health. Pressing his hand against her forehead, he feels her to see if she has a temperature. "You don't feel that hot, not like if you're sick"

"No no I'm not sick" She quickly said, pulling his hand back down and holding it in her own, across her lap. "I'm just… You talking about your _weapon_ "

"My weapon? Why's that make your face turn red? All I said was I've got a bigger one than him. He's only got a tiny little dagger, mine's a sword"

A blush deeper than even the surface of a tomato works it was across her face, subconsciously she tightens her grip across his hand and lets out a squeak. "Can we _please_ change the subject?!" She quickly said, desperate to change the subject, before she gives into her curiosity and temptation, and asks for an accurate measurement. "Why'd you come into the bathroom anyway?!" She quickly said, giving no thought to the path she has led their conversation down.

The instant the question falls from her lips, a dead silence falls across the room. His eyes fall from her face, to the point where their hands are now linked together. Shame fills their surface, along with a glimmer of guilt. "Serena… I…" Lifting his head back up, he catches her eyes in his own, dispelling the embarrassment she felt mere moments ago. The hand she holds in her own gently grips her back, sending reassuring comfort through her. "Do you wanna talk about what happened?" He gently asked.

Serena feels the pull to sever their eye contact, but lacks the strength to follow through with it. "Oh… That's what you wanted? To ask me that?"

His thumb gently strokes the ivory skin of her hand, trying to comfort her and give her some of his strength. "Yeah. I'm here if you wanna talk. I… I know I'm stupid, but I can listen"

His kind offer sends her young heart into a frenzy of beating, while making the scar of her left leg tingle. The scar she got the day they first met, it never really healed, and now serves to remind her of her most treasured memory. She pushes these thoughts from her mind, while they bring joy to her aching heart, Red's here and is trying to help her feel better. The least she can do, is listen to him.

"You're not _that_ stupid Red" She said, her smile now back where it belongs. "Just a bit… Umm…" Her voice tails off, unsure of how to finish her thought.

"No, I really am a moron" He playfully said, with a smile of his own.

"You're not allowed to say you're stupid anymore" She said sternly. "Enough people will put you down as it is, you're not allowed to be one of them. OK?" No words pass through Red's untouched lips, no sounds, nothing. He just lowers his gaze back to their conjoined hands again, keeping quiet, as he's no longer allowed to put himself down. The void like silence returns to the teenager's bedroom once again, bringing with it tension, so thick it could be cut by a knife. She too turns her gaze to their hands, watching his thumb rub its way across her hand. Strange, such a simple gesture brings her such incredible joy. Could it be because she hasn't felt it for so long, the touch of his skin against her own? Is that why it feels so good? Or could it be because it reminds her of her memories, of a time when they were together and happy. All three of them.

"Serena" The light touch of his finger against her cheek lifts away a lone tear, a tear she didn't realise she had shed. "I'm here for you. No matter what" He whispered, meaning every word he speaks.

Another tear falls from her eyes, one she is aware of, but makes no effort to remove, in the hopes that maybe he'll remove it for her again. "I… I… I'm not…" Her feelings betray her, weighing down her tongue so it cannot deliver lies to the man who holds a special place in her heart.

"It's OK… You don't have to say it" He breathed, sensing the pain and fear in her voice. His powerful hand clasps onto her jaw line, so gentle it could be mistaken for Jumpluff cotton spores. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be here for you… OK?"

Tears fall freely from her sapphire like eyes, soaking both her skin and his callouses in equal measure. "Do you mean that?" She whispered, hoping against hope, that her ears did not deceive her.

"Yeah. I'd do anything for you, Serena. All you have to do is ask" He whispered back to her, without even a moment's hesitation.

The final restraint within her heart is lifted by these simple words, her eyes swell with an ocean's worth of tears, making them sparkle like the moon reflecting the sun's light. A question forms in her heart, one she is desperate to ask. "Red… Can… Can…"

His loving smile silences her tongue, but makes her heart scream out in joy. "Come here"

No sooner than the invitation enters the world, than she gives into her biological needs and lunges forwards, knocking them back and onto her bed. Their hips greet one another, grinding against the other as she inadvertently straddles her crush. Her shaking hands claw their way across his iron hard body, seeking that which the eye can never see, similarly, his hands run across her back and through her luscious long hair. Both of them seek the same thing, support and comfort.

Her shaking hands cling to the jacket across his chest, as tightly as her fingers will allow. The pain and fear that Calem birthed in her heart bursts free, falling from her eyes like a never ending river of sorrow and into the shoulder of the one person who knows what she has endured, and who cares for her enough to stay and protect her. "Let it go Serena. Let it all go" He gently whispered into her ear, while cupping his hand around her head. His arms, packed with more power than that of a Fighting type, quickly settle around her fragile frame, holding her in a tight, but tender loving embrace. "Let it all go. I'm here for you, I'll protect you, he can't hurt you anymore. I promise he'll never hurt you again" His voice a soft whisper, gentle and loving. Bringing a much needed sense of comfort, to her pain filled heart.

Spurred by his comforting voice, as well as his loving words, she hesitantly lifts her face from his shoulder and looks him in the eye. Her eyes are reddened from the salty sting of her tears, left swollen by their escape, but they remain the sparkling jewels, plucked from the purest stone they have always been. "You'll protect me?" A single stray tear falls from her eyes, one that slowly crawls down her skin.

With a nod of his head, he answers her question. With the gentle touch of his finger, he lifts away the stray tear and draws a blush across her cheek. The lips of Red part to speak, but instead of a whisper, a song fills the room. "Come stop your crying, it'll be alright~" His voice is far softer than she has ever heard it, filled with… What could only be described as tenderness. He tenderly grips her left hand in his right, drawing more blood to her already crimson cheeks. "Just take my hand, hold it tight~" Together their fingers dance and intertwine, until they're laced together so tightly, it's difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. "I will protect you, from all around you… I will be here, don't you cry~"

A small and simple smile forms across her face, to many such a simple act means little, but it's value is far greater when it's able to form and push past the pain across a face.

"For one so small, you seem so strong~" He continued to sing, his voice barely above a whisper. Her free hand relinquishes its grip across his clothes, to rest itself against his chest and feel the flesh beneath the fabric. "My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm~" The feeling of his free arm running across her back, to hold her tightly, alerts her to the rather sensual position they accidentally fell into. But she makes no efforts to move from it.

Leaning his head forward and gazing deeply into her eyes, he sings the final verse. "This bond between us, can't be broken… I will be here, don't you cry~" Having sung all he wanted to say, he lowers his head down onto the pillow once again, following his example, Serena rests her head on his chest. The pillow she has longed to use for years, and can now finally have. Their hands remain intertwined at their side, locked together as tightly as they are themselves.

A comforting sensation welcomes her, one she recognises and has yearned to feel for… She doesn't even know how long. "I can hear your heart…" She giggled. The beats are powerful and are so fast, they almost sound like a continuous humming. Not surprising, seeing as a beautiful woman is lying atop him in a bed. Red may be different from any normal man, but his heart is one thing that'll always be the same. It's a part of him, a part she can enjoy and love.

"I can hear yours too"

"You can? Wow, you've got good ears… Thank you, I needed this. What was that? It sounded familiar. Did you mean? What you said to me?"

"I did. Every word… I don't really know what it was. But whenever I feel sad or scared, I hear those words in my head. I hear someone singing them to me, and they always make me feel better. I just thought they might help you too"

"They did. Thank you" She said, nuzzling her cheek into her newest pillow.

The feeling of her cheek nuzzling into his chest sends his already racing blood through his body twice as fast, increasing the already drum like beat of his heart. His eyes dilate as his testosterone levels skyrocket, not only is she straddling him, she's openly declaring her intentions. "No. Don't be so stupid. She doesn't want you. She, she doesn't know what that means. Calm down you stupid son of a bitch" He thought, frustrated beyond measure.

Her nuzzling quickly comes to an end, but the increased pace and strength of his heartbeat remains. As does the pulsing erection in his pants, that presses into her inner thigh and makes her blush deeply. "Oh my god… You weren't kidding; your _weapon_ is a sword. Hehehe" She thought with a blush.

The desire to call him out on his natural physical reaction comes to her, to see him squirm and blush as he gets embarrassed… He may have no shame, but she doubts that he wouldn't be embarrassed about something like this. Any man would be, unless he's a pervert. She would act on this desire and embarrass him in return for the embarrassment he caused her, but she finds herself lacking the energy to do so. A combination of the warmth from his flesh, and the soothing beat of his heart, has drained the energy from her body. Before long, she begins to drift away into the embrace of sleep. "So comfy…" She sleepily whispered. Her eyelids fall shut and she enters the embrace of sleep, with that same smile across her lips.

A sigh of contentment and joy falls from Red's lips as he watches his oldest friend drift off to sleep, dreaming of something that he can't possibly imagine. The young Warrior lies his head down once more and shuts his eyes, not to enter the realm of sleep as she has done, but to relax and think of home. The one place in this world, where he belongs. Truly belongs.

Most men would have mixed feelings about their friend falling asleep on their chest, while resting her hips against his, but Red only sees a sweet sight that reminds him of his home. His baby brothers and sisters all fall asleep on him there too, usually when they're fighting amongst themselves and using him as a climbing frame. Some of them can't sleep without either him or their mother, cuddling up with them, keeping them safe and warm. Seeing Serena fall asleep on him brings back fond memories, and fills his heart with a yearning desire to return to the forest and see them all again. "I miss you guys… I just hope Mama can cope without me, at least for a while" He thought, a hint of fear within his heart.

* * *

" _KEEP YOUR DISGUSTING CLAWS OFF ME, YOU FUCKING HARPY!"_ Charizard roared, fear rattling in his voice, with an undeniable element of rage at its core. His claws cling to the trunk of the tree in the Yvonne garden, at as high a point as physically possible, without breaking the plant in half. Hugging his body as close to the ancient plant as he can, refusing to let even the smallest part of him be left vulnerable.

Standing at the base of the enormous plant, Serena's starter Pokémon, Charla, also holds onto the trunk tightly. But unlike her larger and more aggressive counterpart, she is not clinging to it out of fear. _"Oh… Don't be like that big boy, I don't bite… Too much"_ Ending her declaration, with a snap of her jaws and a rake of her claws across the bark, gouging out six streaks in the wood.

" _AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! BBBBBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"_ The overweight Fire starter screamed, absolutely terrified of the younger, more feminine version of his species.

Red leans against the outside wall, his eyes shut and arms crossed against his chest. Standing beside him, is Blade, who also has his eyes shut, but who shakes his head in disgust. "Shut the fuck up Charizard. Either man up and kick her ass, or be her Mate. I don't give a fuck either way"

Charla throws both Red and Blade an evil glare, not only are they interfering with her time with the Alpha male, they're an irritating nuisance. _"Why are you two still here?"_

" _We are waiting for him"_ Blade replied, opening his eyes.

" _Whatever"_ She growled, turning her attention back to Charizard. _"But you better get your assess out of here soon, unless you wanna watch"_

The overweight Fire dragon shuts his eye. _"Mama… Mama help me"_ He whimpered, petrified to the point of losing control over his bladder.

"Fuck. Don't put that image in my head" Red complained, screwing his face up in disgust. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna throw up"

" _I agree. We do not want to see that"_ Blade added, shutting his eyes again and focusing on his other senses, staying alert and ready for the impending threat to make its presence known.

" _Then fuck off now"_ Charla growled, her tail flailing around excitedly, threatening to send embers across the ground.

" _Let us ignore them Master"_ Blade said, crossing his arms like his Master.

"Done. And stop calling me Master"

" _Mama… Mama your little Char-Char needs help"_ Charizard whimpered pitifully.

" _Her scent. It's all over you"_ Blade said, ignoring his brother's pitiful whimpers.

"Yeah, we were talking and she fell asleep on me" He innocently said, as if nothing was wrong. "Didn't have the heart to wake her up, after what she's been through"

The Bug/Steel type smirks slightly, chuckling lightly. _"I see… Well Maw Maw will certainly be happy. You two have finally grown up and found Mates. I wonder how long until-"_ His words are cut short, by the anger filled roar of his younger brother.

" _SHE'S NOT MY MATE!"_ Charizard screeched.

"Ain't no one talking ta you Fat Ass" Red sharply said, staring into the scareless palm of his right hand. "Don't start that crap Blade. She ain't my Mate and we ain't got no kids"

Opening a single eye, Blade gazes at his Master's exposed palm. _"I see. You have not claimed her as of yet. It seems Maw Maw will have to wait longer, before becoming a Grandmother"_

Red scoffs, aware of his adopted mother's love of children and her desire for Grandchildren. "Oh you never know Zaru's Mate might get pregnant soon" He said, lowering his hand. "Or maybe Charla here will give her some Grandkids"

Blade nods his head, shutting his eye once again. _"It is a possibility"_

Terrified by the thought of being forced into fatherhood by this oversexed harpy, Charizard clings to the tree as tightly as he possibly can, his muscles stretching his scaly skin to its limits. _"I don't wanna be stuck with her! Boss make her go away! Please!"_

"Fuck no. I ain't gettin' involved"

" _After the last time you interfered, I would not recommend it"_ Blade contributed.

"Yeah. Wasn't pretty" Red said, chuckling at the memory. "Zaru's lucky she thought it was funny, otherwise he'd be a lonely man"

" _WITH AS BIG A HEADACHE AS YOU'LL GET ONCE I GET DOWN FROM HERE YOU TRAITORUS BASTARD!"_ Charizard roared, finding his voice again.

"What's all the roaring about?" Serena asked, walking through the glass door, rubbing her sleep filled eyes and looking around the garden. "Did a Bunnelby get in again?"

"No. Charizard's just being a fucking coward. Enjoy your sleep?"

The blonde Kanto native quickly spots Charizard clinging to the top of the tree, apparently afraid of Charla. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry I fell asleep on you… But why is he up there?"

Shutting his good eye, Red shakes his head. "No idea. And don't worry 'bout it"

" _His sense of logic is being overpowered by his base desires, as well as his fear. He has forgotten that he has wings and the power to fly"_ Blade said, alerting Serena to his presence.

Surprised by the unexpected voice, Serena examines the Bug/Steel Pokémon with confusion in her eyes. Never before has she seen a Pokémon like him before, not in person at least, only on TV and in magazines. "Umm… Red, is that Scizor with you?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, that's Blade. Blade this is Serena" Red casually said, his eyes wandering across the fence line. The Pokémon known as Blade bows his head to her as a formal greeting; he stays silent, knowing she cannot understand his words.

"Well it's nice to meet you Blade" Serena said, bowing her head in return.

Charla completely ignores their existence; all her desire riddled mind can focus on is the obvious Alpha male above her. _"Come on down big boy, or do I need to come up there and… Persuade you?"_

" _WHY GOD WHY?! MAMA! MAMA SAVE ME!"_

"Tell me he didn't…" Red groaned, humiliated beyond imagining by the Fire type's please for their mother. "Is it too late to deny he's our brother, Blade?"

" _Yes Master. We have been family for ten winters now; it is indeed a little late to deny that fact… As much as I want to"_ Blade begrudgingly said, just as humiliated as Red.

"Shit" Red groaned, slamming his head against the wall.

" _I doubt your Mother would appreciate you denying that he is family, you know how she is"_ Blade added.

"Yeah. I know" He groaned, covering his face with his hand.

Serena watches the two of them talk from afar, feeling a sense of joy from watching them communicate so easily. As well as a pang of envy. Hopefully that'll be her and Charla soon, able to speak to each other with no language barriers whatsoever. It's such a simple thing, the ability to speak with one of her closest friend, everyone with working vocal cords takes it for granted, but it's something that neither she nor Charla has ever been able to do. At least not with one another.

The thought of being able effectively communicate with her starter brings a glowing smile across her face. "What's Charizard done this time?" She playfully asked.

"He's being a snivelling coward. _That's_ what he's done" He groaned. She gives him a questioning look, as if to say she wants to know more. "Charla's trying to fuck Charizard, but he doesn't want to be her Mate. So instead of kicking her ass, or _at least_ telling her to fuck off like a man, he's hiding at the top of that tree and crying for Mama to save his sorry ass… YOU ARE A FUCKING COWARD YOU FAT FUCK!"

" _MAMA! MAKE HER GO AWAY!"_

"Mama? You mean Delia?" Serena asked, confusion written across her face. "Why's he calling for her? He doesn't really know her, does he?"

"Who? You mean Mom?" He asked, his face screwing up in confusion. "No he ain't calling for her, he's calling for Mama. He's a major Mama's bo…" His voice trails off, distracted by an unwelcome but desired sensation, flowing through his Connection with Charizard.

The razor sharp, yellow eyes of the red Pincer Pokémon open sharply. _"Master. The time has come"_ His eyes roll upwards, focusing on Charizard. Like Red, he too can feel Darkness filling Charizard.

"What's wrong? You look worried" Serena asked, concerned for both her friend and his Pokémon.

Red shifts his focus to her, inadvertently giving her a sharp glare that sends shivers down her spine. "Get to shelter. Now" His eyes turn into a pair of glowing blood red hot coals. "Get inside and keep anyone you want to live in there too. None of you come out until I say it's OK"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Just trust me" He snarled, his patience growing thin. "Get inside and don't come out until I say it's OK!"

Before she can do more than stare at him with what should be hurt eyes, but are instead sapphires filled with a spark of desire, Blade interjects their conversation. _"Master… Look at his eye"_ Raising his pincer up to the tree where Charizard has taken refuge. Both the teenagers follow his pincer to the tree top, forgetting the order he gave her in an instant.

"Ah crap…" Red muttered, through gritted fangs.

His words were coaxed free by the sight of Charizard stabbing his claws into the trunk of the tree, tearing through the bark like paper. A rabid snarl foams at his mouth, with his wings stretching out and into the air, flapping slightly to encourage blood to flow and his eye turning as black as a cue ball. The Fire dragon turns his one good eye to the prey beneath him, all four of them, but there is only one that means anything to him now.

Charizard's lips twist into a demonic smirk, one that has no place across his face. _"It's been too long, Boy"_

"Eis" Red snarled, his fangs and talons bared for battle.

* * *

 **HEY GUYS! THE MAD DRAGON IS BACK!… Oh wait, this is the outro, not the intro… Ooops. Hehehehe.**

 **Don't blame me, blame Eis. BTW, you say it like ice, yeah I'm** _ **that**_ **creative. Lol. Don't like it? Blame Dragon Ball GT, same as everyone else does. AH! HAHAHAHA!**

 **The emotions were real here, so much cheese! I LOVE CHEESE! HA! HAHAHAHAHA! This calls for a celebration! CHEESE! CHEESE FOR EVERYONE!**

 **Wait a minute, screw that cheese for no one. Which could be an even bigger celebration, if you don't like cheese… Dragons love cheese, but cheese don't like us! It makes my feet stink worse! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Instead… EAT THE GOLDFISH! Grab that shiny little bastard from the tank and eat him whole! He'll be delicious! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Until next time guys, break the review count, destroy a suggestion, shatter questions!… As always, do whatever you want guys.**

 **But most of all… The one thing each and every one of you must do… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon out bitches!**


	8. The enemy revealed

**Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is FINALLY back!**

 **Sorry guys! It's been** _ **WAY**_ **too long since I've updated. Once again…. I've re-written this chapter so many times it's not even funny…**

 **Last chapter I said that I'd be taking a break to write ahead, so I could start updating once a week…. Sorry guys, but based on how long it took me to write this chapter, even though I've spent near enough all my free time working on it, I don't think it's possible for me to keep up that system, especially if I hit writers block like I did with this chapter.**

 **I'm afraid that things won't be changing. I'm going to be writing as much as I can, and updating as often as I can….. Sorry :(**

 **Shoutouts to WolfBlade84 (Wolf), Xtreme Gamer, Nightgale45 & everyone who clicked that follow/favourite button, thanks so much for the support and reviews.**

 **Wolf, Red and Serena are horny teenagers…. What did you think they'd be like? Red's goanna try and resist…..** _ **Try**_ **, for a while at least….. Serena on the other hand, she's goanna try harder and harder to get her hands down Red's trousers…. Literally.**

 **Nightgale, Charizard does stuff like that to Red all the time… As well as more violent things…. All will be made clear in time… And Red and Serena will be in situations like that from time to time. They'll get together with one of these situations… I'm not saying when though ;)**

 **I'm goanna keep you guessing….. Red may be forced to admit how he feels, when he kisses her…. Or worse….** _ **I**_ **know when it's goanna happen…. But you guys have to wait…. Hehehehehehehe… I'm seriously evil….. ;)**

 **This is the final part of this sequence; there is a reason for Charizard's wussiness… He has a reason to be frightened of Charla.**

 **For those of you who read the last version…. This is NOT the same as what happened with Gallade… I already did that, and it wasn't the best idea…. So, I've tweaked one of my earlier ideas, and made it fit Charizard instead….**

 **Wow this is seriously long….. Please no jokes saying "That's what** _ **she**_ **said".**

 **If you guys have any questions about anything in the last version, please feel free to ask me. Either drop a review with your question, or PM me.**

 **I'll put the question at the end of the chapter with an answer. So long as the answer doesn't contain spoilers about this version, I'll explain it all….. Even if it contains spoilers, I'll just say "Sorry this is a spoiler".**

 **I'll say this last thing, then onto the story. This chapter is** _ **very**_ **long, simply because I wanted this sequence over with in this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: (Holding onto the highest branch in the tallest tree I can find) I DON'T OWN POKEMON! DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME ABOUT ASH BEING AN ETERNAL TEN YEAR OLD! BLAME WHOEVER OWNS IT, NOT ME!... Lol.**

* * *

The sky is blanketed in a thick layer of clouds; very little sun light is piercing them.

In the Yvonne's garden, Charizard is clinging to the tallest branch for dear life. He's absolutely terrified of Charla, she's standing at the bottom of the tree, and she's making her intentions _very_ clear…. She's interested in him, and wants to act on it.

Red, Shauna and Serena are standing in front of the glass door, which leads to the inside of the house. Serena is standing on Red's right side, with a purple snail like Pokémon in her arms.

Red's trying hard not to laugh at Charizard, both of his hands are covering his mouth, and he's sucking on his lips. His face is burning brightly; the laughter is escaping in the form of occasional snorts.

Shauna looks very confused; she turns to look at Red. "Why is Charizard so scared of Charla? What could she possibly do to him?"

Charizard turns his head down to Shauna. _"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT COULD SHE DO TO ME?! SHE'S GOANNA MOLEST ME!"_ He roared.

Shauna, Serena and Sliggoo wince, and their eyes shrink in fear. Charizard's roar is quite intimidating, his is loud, even for a Charizard.

Red's used to hearing roars, while Charizard's is loud, he's used to it.

Charizard's roar would put off most Pokémon, but it has different effect on Charla… It's making her want him more.

She blushes deeper and bats her eyelashes slowly at Charizard. _"Oooh your strong… Come on down big boy, I don't bit…. Much"_

Charizard clings to the branch as tightly as he can and starts shaking heavier. _"Keep your claws away from me you harpy"_ He whimpered.

Red abruptly stops laughing; his eyes shrink slightly and fill with shock. For the briefest of moments, a streak of darkness swirls around both of his eyes.

A faint voice brushes against his ears… "Don't resist…. Accept the power" A cold and emotionless voice whispered.

Red closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Get out of my head" He thought.

He slowly lowers his arms to his waist. He balls his hands into fists; they're so tense a large vein is throbbing on the back of his right fist.

Red's face tenses up, and he begins to take long, deep breaths. He's struggling to remain calm… "I must remain calm….. I can't give in" He thought.

The voice brushes against his ears again. "If you won't accept my gift….. Perhaps your lizard will" It whispered.

Red's eyes bolt open; he immediately turns his gaze to Charizard. His eyes widen and swell with fear when he sees him.

Charizard is frozen, he can't move at all. His eye is changing colour… It's turning darker by the second.

Red looks up at his brother, their Connection is telling his that he's in pain…. Terrible pain…. Even without the connection, Red could still tell he's suffering.

"Shit…" He whispered. Serena, Shauna and Sliggoo turn their heads to look at Red. "FUCK!" He shouted.

"Red? What is it?" Serena asked, her voice filled with concern.

He doesn't respond to her, instead he turns his attention to Charla. He walks towards her; with each step he takes his fear builds stronger and stronger.

The girls all watch him as he walks, with the exception of Charla. Her gaze is still focused on Charizard; she can see he looks different than he did a moment ago.

Red stops walking, he's a few feet away from Charla now. "Charla…."

Charla looks at him with annoyance on her face. _"What do you want?"_

Red's sweating very heavily; it's getting worse as time goes on. "Charla… Wake Rhyhorn, then both of you go with the others" His voice is shaking with fear.

Charla's face changes to confusion. _"What are you talking about?"_

Red swallows nervously. "Charizard is about to lose control…. I need to take him down. But I can't do that until your all safe… Please trust me"

The others heard Red; they all turn their attention to Charizard. One by one, their eyes widen in shock and horror.

Charizard is snarling into the tree, he has released his grip on it and balled his hands into fists. He's swinging his tail around wildly, his eye is burning with raw hatred.

Charla narrows her eyes and looks at Red with suspicion. _"What makes you think he'd do something like that?"_

Serena doesn't avert her gaze from Charizard; fear has all but paralysed her. "Charla…. Do as Red asked please"

Sliggoo begins to shake; it doesn't take long for her to start shaking like a leaf. Her eyes water and swim in fear. _"Charla… He's goanna eat us"_ She whimpered.

Charla turns her attention to Sliggoo, pity rises within her. _"OK…. If it makes you feel better, I'll do it"_

She turns towards the small house with the sleeping Rhyhorn in it, she walks up to her and crouches down in front of her. _"Rhyhorn, you need to wake up old girl"_

The sleeping Rhyhorn slowly opens her eyes and yawns. _"Don't call me old…. What's going on?"_ She turns her head around to look at her surroundings. _"Who's he?"_

Red lowers his head. "I'll explain everything later… Just please go with Charla"

Charla nods her head at Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn looks very confused. _"OK then… This is very weird"_

" _Just go with it for now…. If he's right, then shit's about to hit the fan"_ Charla said with scepticism.

Rhyhorn stands up and walks out of her house. _"What do you want me to do?... Wait a second… Can you understand me?"_

Red nods his head once. "Please, just go with the others…. You too Charla… We don't have long"

Both Rhyhorn and Charla walk over to the others, Rhyhorn stands between Serena and Shauna. She looks up at the tree and quickly spots Charizard, like the others, she too is scared.

Charla walks to Serena's right side, she doubts Charizard is doing anything to warrant such fear. She looks up at him with rosey cheeks, until she sees what he's doing…. Then her face fills with fear just like the others.

* * *

Red slowly turns around on the spot, so he's facing them all. He lifts his hands up to eye level, and unballs his fists. He lifts his head up to look at them all; his face is riddled with rage.

"No matter what happens…. Do not interfere" His voice is emotionless.

His hands gain a red hue around them, he opens his eyes wider and they turn blood red. "No matter what…. You must not interfere" His eyes glow brightly as he speaks.

Before the others can say anything, he creates a barrier of Aura around them all which connects with the house… Clearly Red wants to give them the choice to go back inside the house.

The barrier is opaque, but coloured red.

Red lowers his arms to his sides, lowers his head and shuts his eyes. "I am sorry Charizard…. I failed you" He thought.

* * *

Those protected by the barrier stare at it curiously. Charla reaches forwards, and taps her claws against it. It feels solid to her touch, but nothing happens… Not like when the Beast created a barrier.

" _I remember this…. When I was a Charmander… The Beast created one of these"_

Serena recognises the barrier. Lily has shown her things like this before, and has used them to stop her from walking away.

Sliggoo hasn't ever seen anything like this before, she scoots closer to Serena. _"I don't like it… Make it go away"_

Shauna looks very creeped out by the power Red is displaying. "What the fuck is this thing?!" She almost screamed.

The glass door which connects the house to the garden bursts open, a terrified Grace and Fletchling run through it. "What's going on? What's that thing?" Grace said as she pointed towards the barrier.

* * *

Charizard stops snarling and slowly turns his head to look at the girls; he can't see Red beneath the tree. His eye has changed dramatically.

His iris has turned pure black, with three gold rings running through it. The first is wrapped around the pupil, the second runs through the middle of the iris; finally the third ring runs along the edge of it.

Charizard looks at each of them with a dark hunger, while licking his lips. _"Which one should I eat first?"_ He growled.

Red's eyes bolt open and he lifts his head up sharply. His body turns blood red again, and changes just like it did when Calem tried to shoot him. He loses all of his features, and becomes a shadow.

He sprints towards the group, he moves faster than he normally could. He reaches them in less than a second, he turns his back to them and sprawls his arms out. He's standing directly in front of Serena.

When he stops moving, his body returns to normal, with the exception of his eyes, they're still glowing blood red.

He growls lowly and very deeply at Charizard, his face is burning with hatred. "If it's a fight you want, then I'm ready to go…. It's me you want, leave them out of it" He spat.

Grace, Shauna, Fletching, Sliggoo, Charla and Rhyhorn's eyes nearly pop out of their heads, they've never seen anything like what he's just done and it's scared them.

Serena has seen this before; Red used this power earlier. It's surprising, but not frightening.

Shauna nearly jumps out her skin. "WHAT THE FUCK DID HE JUST DO?!" She screamed in fear.

* * *

Charizard turns his attention to Red, the hatred in his eye burns brighter. _"Why must you always be the hero?... Why can't you just let me have my fun?"_

Red cracks his neck to his right, but maintains eye contact with Charizard. "How's about you let Charizard go, and we settle this properly? There's no need to involve the others….. I'm who you want and _your_ head is what I want…. Let's do this like men"

Charizard flaps his wings to lift him into the air slightly and push himself away from the tree. He smirks darkly. _"Oh we will… But first, I want to have some fun"_

* * *

Those protected by the barrier are watching with mixed reactions.

Grace jumps behind Serena, and wraps her arms around her shoulders. "It's goanna be OK…. It's all goanna be OK" Her voice is filled with sheer terror… She doesn't need to understand Charizard's words to know what's coming.

Sliggoo can't take the fear anymore; she closes her eyes and buries her head in Serena's chest. _"I'm so scared"_ She cried.

Serena knows she's scared; she shifts Sliggoo's weight onto her left arm, and wraps her right arm around her to shield her. "Don't worry…. Red will protect us"

Shauna turns to Serena; she can see that Serena's shielding her from harm…. Just like a mother would. "It may not be the best time, but your maternal instincts are kicking in again"

Serena and Grace both turn to her and give her evil looks. "No. Not the best time for jokes Shauna" Serena said.

Shauna sweatdrops. "Sorry…. But it wasn't a joke"

Charla's eyes are watering heavily; she's on the brink of bursting out into tears.

Rhyhorn is still very confused by all this. _"I don't have a clue about what's going on…. Can someone explain this to me?"_

Fletchling is shaking like a canary that's being eyed up by a cat. _"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?! WHAT IS THAT THING?!"_ He squawked in terror.

* * *

Charizard drops to the earth with a colossal thud; he slams his tail into the ground and snarls at Red. _"Charizard has been reborn in the cleansing touch of darkness. He now feels my power flowing through his veins. Now, I will kill you with the body of your beloved lizard"_

Red raises his right hand towards Charizard. "Are we going to stand around talking…. Or are we going to _actually_ fight? I've gotta feed Charizard, and I want this over with" He pulls his fingers back to taunt him.

Charizard snorts out black smoke. _"THAT'S IT!"_ He roared at the top of his lungs. He charges forwards, raises his right hand and extends his claws.

He throws his claws towards Red's chest, before they can make contact with him; Red grabs his wrist with both hands.

Charizard doesn't waste a second; he swings his tail around and smashes it into Red's left side.

Red grunts in pain. "AGH!" He loses his grip on Charizard, who responds by pulling his claws back and swinging them across his chest. His claws rake across Red's flesh… Shredding his jacket to pieces and ripping his flesh open.

Red's eyes slam shut, he grinds his teeth in an attempt to handle the pain.

Blood spurts from his wounds, it soaks them both and turns them both a dark shade of crimson.

Those protected by the barrier look on in horror. One by one, the blood drains from their faces.

Red swings both of his arms to his left and latches onto Charizard's tail.

In one fluid motion, Charizard yanks his tail back and swings it to his left, flinging Red in the process.

Red loses his grip; he flies through the air, sending blood all across the garden. He lands with a painful faceplant into the dirt.

Before he has the chance to push himself off the ground, Charizard jumps to his side with an evil grin on his face.

He lifts his tail up high, with diabolical pleasure he slams it down onto Red's back. The force makes Red's head rise up out of the dirt. His eyes shrink in agony and another grunt of pain escapes his lips. "AGH!"

Charizard lifts his tail up high once again, and then slams it down onto Red's back harder than the last time. Once again, Red grunts in pain. "AGH!"

His face slams back down onto the earth with a heavy thud. More and more of Red's blood washes over the ground, turning the grass crimson.

He lifts his head off the ground, he snarls deeply. His entire body is racked in pain, every fibre of his being is screeching for him to fight back, to put Charizard down.

Charizard snarls down at him, he lifts his left foot back and then kicks it into Red's side. Red rolls over the grass a couple of feet, he finally stops on his back… Blood steadily flowing from his wounds.

He stares up at the sky, blanketed by thick clouds. Blood rises up his throat and fills his mouth, he opens his mouth and spits out the pent up blood.

"Well Red…. You're covered in your own blood again…." A broad smile falls onto his face. "Get your ass up… You've got plenty off fight left in you" He thought.

Charizard flies closer to Red; he slams his feet down onto the earth and snarls down at him. Red looks into his partner's eye, and turns his smile into a cocky smirk.

Charizard snorts out black smoke. He reaches down with his tail, wraps it around Red's neck and lifts him up so he can look into his eyes.

Red maintains his cocky grin. _"FIGHT BACK!"_ Charizard throws his right fist into Red's gut.

Red coughs up another mouthful of blood, as pain wracks across his body.

Charizard pulls his right fist away, and slams his left fist into Red's gut. _"FIGHT BACK!"_

Blood continues to steadily flow from Red's wounds, more and more pain racks his body.

Charizard snarls even louder in anger. _"WHY WON'T YOU FIGHT BACK?!"_

"I will….. I'm just testing your power…. And I must say, I'm not impressed"

Charizard tightens his grip on Red's neck and throat, Red's air supply is quickly running out. His face begins to turn a faint shade of blue.

Charizard lifts Red closer to his face, in an attempt to intimidate him. _"I'll give you something to be impressed about"_

He throws Red through the air, towards the barrier. Red's back slams into his barrier, his blood splatters across it. The breath is knocked out of him, his vision blurs.

Those behind the barrier release a series of frightened squeaks and growls… Except Serena…. Her eyes are wide and tears are filling them.

Charizard slowly walks towards Red, his eye burning with hatred and rage. He raises his right claws and channels his dragon power into them to form a Dragon Claw attack.

Large green scales grow over his hands and claws, the scales are ghost like and opaque, they are making his hand look bigger than it is.

 **(A/N I always try to make the moves look like they do in the XY anime, for a clearer picture just look them up)**

Red's vision is blurry from losing so much blood, but he recognises the move all the same. "Shit"

Charizard leaps forwards and thrusts his attack towards Red's chest. Red grits his teeth and stares Charizard down, no fear swirls in his eyes… Even as Charizard's claws stab into his flesh.

The attack passes through his flesh, shatters his ribs, shreds his lungs and finally stops just before it can pass through his back… The tips of the claws stab through his back and rip through his jacket.

The claws don't stop there though, the tips stab through the barrier, breaking three tiny holes.

Red's eyes widen in pain… His mouth opens, and a steady stream of blood pours forth.

* * *

Inside Charizard's mind, Charizard is standing alone is complete darkness… There is nothing but him, the darkness…. And a deafening silence. It's similar to what Red experiences when the Beast takes control over him.

Charizard turns his head around, searching his surroundings. His tail flame is providing no light; the darkness is not natural…

Charizard rolls his eye around; in here his eye is normal… This is the real Charizard, not the one killing Red.

"… _. I have failed…"_ His voice is lacking its usual strength and power, it's weak.

He drops his head, and slumps to the floor. _"I let that sick son of a bitch defeat me…. Now he's in control…. I'm not worthy enough to be a Knight"_

He closes his eye and sighs. _"I'm sorry Boss…. I fell at the first hurdle….. Why did it have to be HIM? Anyone else I could…. I don't even know anymore"_

Pain surges through his chest, his eye opens wide and he presses his hands against it.

" _Fuck that hurts…."_ A light shines down upon him; he lifts his head to stare into it. His eye widens in disbelief.

"Shit" Red said.

Charizard can see what's happening in the outside world… He's watching himself stab Red in the chest with Dragon Claw.

" _Oh shit….. Boss…."_ He said, his voice even weaker. A single tear falls from his eye… All of his pain, all of his depression and all of his sorrow is channelled into this tear.

* * *

Back in the garden, Charizard's eye begins to change.

The first gold ring is shaking violently, cracks are appearing and the darkness is seeping out of it. In place of the darkness, the normal blue is filling in.

A single tear falls from his eye, the tear rolls down his face and drops the blood soaked earth.

* * *

Those protected by the barrier wince in horror. Sliggoo can't see what's happening, but the sound of crunching bone is more than enough to scare her.

Tears fill her eyes, and steadily leak out onto Serena's blouse. _"Make it stop"_ She cried.

Shauna's eyes roll back into her head, her legs go limp and she falls backwards onto the ground.

The last of the blood drains from Grace's face, she's on the brink of passing out as well. She clings to Serena even tighter; it's all that's keeping her standing now.

Charla's focused on Charizard, she notices what the others do not… She sees the tear fall from his eye. _"Charizard… You're in pain"_

Rhyhorn drops to the ground, slams her eyes shut and tries to pretend this isn't happening. _"This isn't happening…. A man is NOT being ripped to pieces in front of me…. This isn't happening"_

Serena's eyes are glassy and unfocused… She sees without seeing. "… He needs help" She thought.

* * *

The blood continues to flow from Red's mouth, his head slowly drops down. "Hehehehehe…."

Charizard looks confused; Red shouldn't be able to speak. _"How the fuck are you laughing?"_

Red lifts his head up; he's wearing a broad smirk. "(I'm not…. I'm using my Aura to speak. Even Charizard understands how to do that, your even stupider than I thought)"

Charizard's face fills with fear, he rips his claws out of Red's chest and backs up a few steps. _"SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!"_ He roared.

The moment his claws leave Red's chest, blood floods from the wound. Red's turned into a fountain of blood. Charizard and Red are both soaked to the bone in blood, the barrier is washed in crimson blood… Making it impossible to see through it.

Red manages to lock his knees, preventing them from buckling underneath him. His strength is fading fast; he's losing too much blood…. Yet, he's smiling.

Shauna begins to stir, she groans as she regains consciousness. "Ohhhh…. My head" She moaned as she gently placed her hands on her head, in an attempt to ease the pain.

She lifts her head up, when she sees the blood splattered across the barrier, her eyes roll back into her head and she passes out once again.

Red summons the last of his strength; he lifts his hands up, but keeps his elbows against his sides. He channels his Aura through his body, a surge of red light runs through his entire body through to his chest.

This light moves into his wounds, it fills them. The blood immediately stops flowing.

Red's lung begins to regrow, his bones reform and his flesh knits back together. The light fades, revealing Red's flesh… He doesn't even have a scar from the attack. His wounds may be gone, but the pain of them remains.

His jacket now has several large rips in it, leaving his well tones chest and abs open to sight. He's still soaked in blood, he's in agony, he's exhausted… But he's alive.

Charizard's entire body begins to tremble in fear; his eye is swimming in terror. He swallows nervously and backs up a few steps. _"Keep away from me"_

Red smirks darkly. "My turn"

His body turns blood red once more, before Charizard has the chance to defend himself, he unleashes his attack.

He sprints forwards and hurls his right fist into Charizard's face. The force behind the blow is far stronger than it would normally be; it's powerful enough to propel Charizard through the air.

Charizard's eye nearly pops out of his head, his head is immediately sent backwards. His body is lifted from the earth, and he is sent flying through the air. With an almighty crash, Charizard slams into the tree.

The tree shakes violently, but the trunk holds strong. Charizard drops to the floor, landing on his stomach.

Red returns to normal once again, his arm drops to his side and he breathes very deeply. "Come on Charizard. Just break free already, it's not that hard"

Charizard pushes himself up, his arms are shaking and he's struggling to keep himself off the ground. _"This is all wrong… I underestimated how strong he's become…. I can't win this"_ He turns to look at Red. _"But I'm goanna make him suffer"_

Red continues to breathe deeply, he slowly walks towards Charizard. He's stumbling slightly; the pain is draining his strength from him. Each step is harder than the last.

Charizard pushes himself to his feet, like Red he's running low on energy. He stares into Red's eyes, a flash of dark inspiration rushes through his mind. He draws yet another evil smirk.

Red notices Charizard's smirk, but he continues to fight through the pain.

He gets closer and closer to Charizard. His legs are wobbling; his forehead is soaked in sweat, which is pouring down his face. His eyes are burning with anger, but fear is also swirling through them…. He's terrified that the barrier won't hold up long enough for him to take Charizard down.

Charizard watches him closely, waiting for him to get close enough for him to strike.

Red fights through his pain and fatigue to speak. "I'm… (Huff) Going to… (Huff) End this…. (Huff) Now"

He stands a foot away from Charizard, he stares at him. "This had better work" He thought.

Charizard smirks darkly. _"No. I am"_ He swings his tail around and slams it into Red's back, causing him to fall forwards.

Before Red has the chance to react, Charizard slams his right fist straight into his face.

"AGH!" Red grunted in pain. He falls back and clutches his bloody nose. Charizard's tail presses into his back, preventing him from falling back any further. Charizard's true intensions become clear…

He slides his tail up Red's back, and around his neck. He tightens his grip on Red, to cut off his supply of air.

Red's eyes widen in shock, he abandons his bleeding nose and grabs Charizard's tail with both hands in a desperate attempt to breathe.

Charizard snarls at his helpless prey, he lifts him up into the air slightly…. He's cutting off Red's supply of oxygen… He's dying very quickly.

Red's vision begins to blur once again, the sun's light begins to fade away for him… He's quickly losing consciousness. His face begins to turn a faint shade of blue, and his eyes slowly close.

His hands drop from Charizard's tail… His entire body is going limp…. Charizard tightens his grip around Red's throat.

He laughs lowly. _"Hehehehehehehehehe….. So much for the Monster of the forest…. Can't even beat a fat ass dragon"_

Red forces his eyes to open a crack. "…. I'm…. Not… Dead yet" He rasped.

He's struggling to breathe with Charizard's tail around his throat… But each breath takes more and more effort from him… He shuts his eyes…

* * *

The barrier that shields the girls from harm is slowly absorbing the blood that was splattered across it, allowing the girls to watch the battle again.

Serena can only watch in horror as Red's life begins to slip away… Her eyes shrink; the glassiness fades from them and is replaced with tears.

She feels the pain of a knife stab through her heart… She feels the earth beneath her feet crack apart and swallow her…. Her world is ending.

Grace releases her grip on Serena, she quickly moves in front of her, she plants both her hands on her shoulders and stares into her watery eyes.

"Serena, Serena look at me" She said firmly.

Serena looks back at her mother; tears begin to fall from her eyes…. She can't speak.

Grace looks firmly at Serena. "Don't look Serena…. He's gone… OK. He's gone"

Grace's words pass into Serena's ears, but she doesn't believe them. She feels something start to slip inside of her.

Her tears fade from her eyes, she looks at Grace angrily. "No"

Grace looks taken aback. "What?"

Serena glares at her mother with anger in her eyes. "He's not dead… He's out there fighting to protect us. How dare you just give up on him" She looks down at Sliggoo for a moment. "Well I'm not giving up on him, he needs help and I'm going to help him. Take Sliggoo"

Grace is very confused by this, but she takes Sliggoo from Serena none the less. "Serena, I know he means a lot to you…. But there's nothing we can do"

Serena moves her head so she can see Red and Charizard. "Well you might not be willing to try, but I am" She moves past Grace and Sliggoo, who both stare at her with fear on their faces.

Shauna's eyes flicker open; she gently rolls her head from side to side. "Oh god…. Now my head _really_ hurts" She slowly lifts her head up, and looks at the others.

Serena walks towards the barrier, she stares at it. "This is all that's keeping me away from you Red….. I won't let it stop me" She thought.

Serena's body begins to change. The same clear aqua blue hue that radiated from her earlier begins to shine again, this time it's brighter.

Shauna bolts into a sitting position. "What's going on?!"

Charla rips her eyes open; tears continue to flood down her face. She stares at Charizard with a look of pure hatred. _"Whoever the hell you are…. Let Red go now"_ She growled.

Serena doesn't know what's happening to her, and she doesn't care…. All she knows is that Red's dying and needs help.

The light flows through her body, and focuses into her hands. She can feel the power flowing through her; she doesn't know how she knows…. But she knows how to destroy the barrier.

She raises her hands towards the barrier and unleashes her Aura. In an almighty blast of blue light, her raw Aura floods out of her hands and crashes into the barrier.

Within seconds the barrier cracks and splinters apart. After a moment, the entire barrier shatters, causing chunks of red light to rise into the air and fade away.

As quickly as it came, Serena's power vanishes. It took everything she had to break that barrier, now she can barely stand.

* * *

Charizard's attention is immediately diverted to Serena, his jaw drops open and his eye widens. _"She has power too?"_ He draws a toothy grin. _"I'll enjoy drawing her out her power"_ He licks his lips. _"But I'll enjoy draining her more"_

Red's eyes rip open, he grabs Charizard's tail with both hands, pulls it up to his mouth and bites down on it as hard as he can.

Charizard's eye waters slightly, he rips his tail away from Red, who drops to the floor. He clutches his tail with both hands and blows hard onto the teeth marks.

Red leans back as he falls; he plants his hands into the dirt to cushion his fall. He bends his knees inwards, and shoots out his feet into Charizard's gut.

Charizard drops his tail and his eye waters again. The second gold ring in his iris begins to crack and the darkness being held by it begins to leak out.

A look of shock falls across his face. _"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! HE WAS AT DEATHS DOOR!"_ He mentally screamed.

Red pulls his feet away from Charizard, slams them into the dirt and pushes himself up. He dusts himself down, and stares at his jacket.

"Hey, it took me forever to find this jacket…. You owe me a new one" He said smugly, as Charizard drops to his knees, clutching his aching guts.

* * *

All those who _were_ protected by the now destroyed barrier stare at Red is a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Serena's knees buckle under her, and finally give way. She drops to the ground on her weak knees.

Tears of joy flood her eyes and cascade down her smiling face. "He's OK" She cried.

* * *

Charizard breathes deeply, and glares angrily at Red. Red stares down at Charizard with a look of contempt written across his face. "Pathetic" He spat.

He turns around sharply, and glares at Serena angrily. "I told you NOT to interfere" He spat.

Serena's tears of joy quickly turn to tears of sorrow, her smile drops to a look of sadness.

"What?..." She whimpered.

Red continues to glare at her. "Nobody interferes in my fights…. Not even my friends" He raises his right hand, and points at her. "Don't interfere again" He spat, and dropped his arm.

More tears cascade down Serena's face. "I….. I didn't…. I'm sorry Red" She cried.

Red turns back to face Charizard. "Get up. I'm not finished with you yet" He growled.

Charizard snarls up at Red, he forces himself to stand. _"How are you still alive? I was choking the life out of you… How did you survive?"_ He snarled.

Red crosses his arms, and puts on a smug grin. "How did _I_ survive? Oh please, I'm Red Ketchum, I always survive"

Shauna's eyes almost pop out of head. "Wait…. _He's_ Lily's brother? Well that explains everything…. Madness must run in the family"

Charizard snarls heavier. _"EXPALIN!"_ He roared.

Red rolls his eyes playfully. "Must I?... Oh fine. What's my name?" He asked patronisingly.

Charizard balls his hands into fists, as he does the second gold ring in his eye cracks more. _"Red Ketchum….. The invincible monster of the forest"_

Red uncrosses his arms, and sarcastically claps his hands. "Well done" He said in a patronising tone. "That's it, I am the invincible monster of the forest. How many times have I escaped death? How many times have _you_ tried to kill me?" He raises his arms either side of him, and smirks cockily.

"And yet, I'm still here" He drops his arms. "There's a reason they call me invincible….. I'm a lot fucking stronger than you. Well, at least while your possessing Charizard" He said smugly.

Charizard snarls heavier than before, but doesn't respond.

Red puts his hands behind his head. "I'm embarrassed for you…. Charizard is twice this strong, you've really made him weak….. If you're serious about killing me" He extends his arms to either side. "Then release Charizard….. That's all you need to do, release him….. Then come out of hiding and face me like a man" He drops his arms.

Charizard growls deeply at Red. _"Charizard is already breaking free…. It won't be long until he's free…. Then I'll never be able to control him again"_

Red smiles confidently. "Yeah I know…. Why do you think I'm insulting you? The angrier he gets, the quicker he breaks free"

Charizard stops growling and a look of shock and confusion writes itself across his face. _"How do you know?"_

"You forgot about our bond….. I feel everything he feels, he feels everything that I feel. And right now, he's _VERY_ pissed with me….. I would never be surprised if he tries to eat me again when he comes back"

Red lifts the tattered remains of his jacket up just above his abs. Revealing four large teeth mark scars over his liver. "He's got a thing for liver"

He drops his jacket and crosses his arms again. "How's about we finish this? I'm getting bored"

Charizard throws his right fist towards Red's face; he slams it directly into Red's cheek.

* * *

The others watch on in a mixture of horror and confusion. The same question is going through most of their minds. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Charla and Serena both know what he's talking about, Sliggoo has a vague understanding of it as well.

* * *

As Charizard's fist collides with Red's cheek, a ripple washes over it, and across his face. A shockwave of air passes through the garden, making the grass rustle and the tree's leafs shake.

Charizard smirks proudly, revealing in his victory. _"So much for being invincible"_

His smirk drops the second these words pass through his lips. His eye widens in horror, and his entire body shakes like a cannery that's being eyed up by a cat.

Red hasn't moved an inch, his arms remain crossed and an angry glare is on his face. "That. Hurt" He spat.

Charizard jumps backwards and slams into the tree. His eye changes once more. The second gold ring finally shatters; the darkness within it floods out and fades away. The final gold ring is all that's keeping Charizard in this person's control.

Red stares angrily at Charizard. "Did you seriously think that you _ever_ stood a chance of victory while your possessing Charizard? The only time you've ever stood a chance is when you've faced me directly… Like this, I could easily waste your smug ass without much effort"

Charizard snarls louder than ever, he drops to his knees and slams his right fist into the ground over and over again. _"WHY IS CHARIZARD SO WEAK?!"_ He roared.

"He's not, Charizard's a lot stronger than this. _You're_ the weak one… While you're possessing Charizard, his strength is cut in half"

Charizard slams his fist into the ground one last time; he's created a small crater in the dirt. He slowly lifts his head up to glare at Red. _"Why?"_

Red drops his look of anger, and replaces it with a smug grin. "Yes your ability vastly increases the power of the one you control. Unless you're controlling a Pokémon that's partnered with an Aura User. You should remember from the time you tried to possess Blade. My bond with Charizard vastly increases his power, as well as my own. But, if I block on the Connection, then you're just a weakling"

Charizard snarls up at Red. _"There's one last thing I want to know…."_

Red raises an eyebrow. "And why should I answer?"

Charizard stops snarling, drops his head and sighs. _"How did you gain so much power so quickly? You were on deaths door; I was crushing the life out of you….. And then you just crushed me… How?"_

Red smirks, he lifts his head to look up at the sky. The clouds are beginning to part, allowing the sun's warming glow to wash over Kalos.

He smiles up at the sky; a familiar sense of freedom fills him. "Fine… I was never at deaths door, well not today anyway…. I only allowed you to think I was… I allowed you to get that Dragon Claw in. Yeah that's right, I let you do it"

Charizard growls lowly, the final gold ring begins to crack slightly. _"I see…. That's when Charizard began to fight back…. You did that to piss him off, didn't you?"_

Red closes his eyes and smiles. "Yeah…. He hates it when I let him get one in over me. He's just like me, he doesn't like handouts… We _earn_ what we have"

The final gold ring in Charizard's eye begins the splinter; Charizard is almost free from being controlled. He lifts his head up. _"Look at me"_ He spat.

Red slowly looks down at Charizard, he stares into Charizard's eye.

Charizard snarls deeply, a deep and resounding hatred is burning in his eye. _"I will be back… And I'll not just kill you, the lizard and the insect…."_ He raises his claws and points at Serena. _"I'll coax her power out too… While you watch"_

Red's smile disappears, in its place a dark evil snarl forms. He reaches down and grabs Charizard's right horn with his left hand. He yanks the dragon's head up and stares into his eye.

"Say what you want about me…. I don't care in the slightest. But, no one says a word about Charizard, Blade or any of my other friends. When you find your balls, come find me….. I'll happily feed them to you" He spat with more venom than a Seviper.

He slams his right knee up and into Charizard's chin; he releases his hold on Charizard as his knee collides with him.

Charizard's head flies backwards and smashes against the tree.

* * *

The eyes of the others widen in disbelief, a few minutes ago Red was barely clinging to life…. Now he's picking Charizard apart _and_ boasting about it.

Serena's tears once again turn to tears of joy, whatever fears she had about Red's life being in danger have dissolved away. Her face is host to a broad smile.

* * *

Red crosses his arms again and smiles down at Charizard. "Get your fat ass up before Charla takes advantage, this time she might even skip the display" He said playfully.

Charizard lifts his head up and looks up at Red. His eye has returned to normal, the darkness and gold rings are completely gone.

" _I'm not fat… Wait Charla's here? Shit I can't fight back"_ He whined. _"I'll make you a deal; you keep that sex maniac dragon away from me…. And… I'll… Ugh….. Give you one of my Tommato berries"_

Red smiles even broader. "Well I see your back to normal… Except you're too weak to fight back" He looks over his right shoulder. "Charla….. He can't fight back, have at it"

Charizard's eye widens, he leans his head back as far as he can. A cold sweat runs down his face. _"For the love of god no…. I'm weak and vulnerable…. I need food and rest… Have mercy"_ He pleaded.

Charla's tears flood down her face with new purpose, they're tears of joy. _"It's over….. It's all over"_

Serena continues to cry her tears of joy, if she had the strength, she'd stand up run over to Red and kiss him… But it took everything she had to destroy the barrier. She simply has nothing left.

* * *

The blood that has soaked both Red and Charizard is beginning to dry.

Red turns his attention back to Charizard. He stares down at the drying blood. "I swear to god…. If you lick that blood off I will puke"

Charizard chuckles lightly. _"Never happen…. Your blood tastes disgusting…. I love human blood, but not yours…. It's gross"_

Red smiles broadly, he uncrosses his arms and extends his right out to Charizard. "Come on, get your ass up before Charla gets it up for you"

Charizard reaches out and takes Red's hand. They both pull against the other, and pull Charizard to his feet. _"Never happen"_

Charizard wobbles a little bit, but he manages to stand up. _"Shit I am fucking weak…. Oh, by the way"_

He smacks Red's forehead lightly with his tail.

Red looks slightly surprised, he rubs the spot where he was hit. "What was that for?" He joked.

Charizard narrows his eye. _"You know what that was for"_

Red rolls his eyes and turns around to face the others. "Gotta accept it Charizard, your ass is just fat"

Charizard slowly shakes his head. _"And your head's empty…. With the exception of that peanut you call a brain"_

Red laughs lowly. "Hehehehe I guess so… Judging by their faces, we have some explaining to do"

The others are staring at Red and Charizard with various looks of confusion and shock. With the exception of Serena, relief and happiness is all that's on her face.

Shauna slowly sits up, and nervously swallows. "Are you two finished trying to kill each other now?" She nervously asked.

Red closes his eyes and smiles again. "Until we start training, yes"

Charizard smirks. _"Hehehe… I'm too tired to kick your ass right now…. But tomorrow I'll have my revenge"_

They both walk towards the others; Red's eyes are firmly fixed on Serena.

They reach them after a moment; the only sound is gentle breeze blowing through the tree.

Red crouches down in front of Serena and looks into her eyes. "Sorry I was so horrible… I _really_ hate it when others interfere with my fights. But I shouldn't have said that to you, you were only trying to help me…" He reaches up, and wipes away a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm sorry"

Serena cups her hand over his, and smiles back at him. "It's OK….. You did tell me not to interfere"

Charizard stares at Red with a look of complete and utter horror. _"Did I hear you correctly?... Did you just apologise for being rude? Sweet merciful crap… And you actually meant it?... Who are you and what have you done with the Boss?"_

Grace turns her head to Shauna, who does the same to her. "Should we leave the garden?" Grace asked.

Both Red and Serena blush deep crimson and turn their heads away, in an attempt to hide their blush from each other.

"I…. Ugh… No Grace, I need to get out of here" Red nervously said.

Grace and Shauna both turn to look at Serena and Red.

Serena bolts her head back to Red. "What do you mean? You can't go, you promised me"

Red slowly drops his head and sighs. "Serena…. The person who did that to Charizard is coming for me… I can't be here when he finds me, what happened today…. It's nothing compared to the destruction he'll cause when he finds me…. I can't be here when that happens"

Serena cups her hands over both of Red's cheeks; she pulls him to look at her. "Red. You're not allowed to leave again. If you so much as _try_ I will hunt you down, and kick you in the nuts so hard you'll never have any kids….. Because you won't be able to get it up again" She said very firmly.

Red nervously sweatdrops, a cold sweat runs down his forehead. "OK then… That's a first. I've never been threatened with something like that before"

Charizard crosses his arms and smirks. _"Nor likely to be again…. Boss, he's coming for her as well"_

Red's eyes shrink before Serena's eyes. The cold sweat runs down stronger than before. "Oh god…." He whispered.

"What is it?" Serena asked, fear drips from her voice.

Red nervously swallows. "We need to get inside; we're not safe out here"

He pulls himself free from Serena's grip, and stands up. His eyes dart all around him, searching for someone. "Where are you, you sick son of a bitch?" His voice holds more hatred than Serena has ever heard in her entire life.

Grace stares at Red with confusion. "What? Why do we have to get inside? How do I know Charizard won't flip out again?"

Red stops searching, he turns to Grace. Fear has enveloped his face. "Please trust me Grace, I'll explain everything once we're inside…. And the only thing that Charizard will flip out over now is food….. He's too weak to fight back right now, even Charla could easily kick his ass right now"

Charizard gains an anger point on his forehead. _"That's it, I was going to let your betrayal go….. Now I'm going to have my revenge bitch"_

Red ignores Charizard's threat, and turns his attention to Serena. He extends his right hand to her. "We need to get you inside"

Serena takes his hand, together they pull her to her feet again. "Why do I need to go inside?"

"I'll explain once we're inside, now please" He looks at each of them. "We need to get inside now"

Rhyhorn slowly shakes her head. _"Fuck this I'm going back to bed…."_ She waddles off back to her small house to go back to sleep.

Serena turns around. "Well? What are you waiting for? He asked us to go inside" She walks up to Grace and takes Sliggoo back; she then walks inside the house.

Grace and Shauna exchange nervous glances, then turn their attention to Red. He nods his head towards the door.

Grace and Shauna look at each other again, Grace shrugs her shoulders. They both turn towards the door, and go back inside the house.

Charla looks at Charizard with happiness. _"I knew it wasn't you"_

Charizard growls slightly. _"Get your ass inside…. I may be weak but the Boss isn't… If I ask him to, he'll drag you inside by you tail"_

Charla blushes. _"Anything you say big boy"_

She turns around, and goes inside the house as well…. Though she has to suck in her gut and walk sideways like a Krabby.

Charizard turns to Red, Red turns to him. "Are you OK?"

Charizard narrows his eye. _"No I'm not…. I was possessed…. You know how much that hurts, you know how weak I am and how long I'm stuck like this for… Don't you dare take advantage of me"_

Red smirks. "OK, that sounds _SO_ wrong….. But I know what you mean" He raises his hands either side of his head. "I won't take the piss while you can't fight back, I'll save it until you can fight back again" He crosses his arms again.

Charizard's eye returns to normal and he smirks broadly. _"Well….. Was it HIM?"_

Red's smirk drops. "Yeah… It looks like he's tracked us down again brother… I'm killing him; you can have whatever's left. But he's my kill"

Charizard slowly nods his head. _"You owe him more than me…. Just let me have a little fun before you finish him… Promise I won't kill him"_

"By all means…. We all owe him, Blade can have some fun too….. But I'm killing him. After what he did to me… To you….. I'm goanna rip his guts out and feed them to you…. I'll rip his spine out and beat him to death with it….. I'll do to him, what he did to me" Red's voice echo's pain….. As well as a deep twisted and resounding hatred.

Red pulls out Charizard's Pokéball. "Get some rest big guy, I promise as soon as I can, I'll get you as much food as you can stomach"

Charizard smiles. _"Thanks Boss… And thanks for not wasting my ass"_

Red smiles back at him. A beam of red light shines from the Pokéball and envelops Charizard; it then sucks him inside the Pokéball.

Red puts the ball back into his pocket, and then walks inside the house.

The battle has left its mark upon the garden; several large patches of dirt have been left exposed. The tree's bark has been dented. Crimson blood has soaked the ground.

On the roof, a small red light is blinking. A tiny camera has been embedded into the roof. Everything that has transpired, has been seen by that camera.

* * *

Serena and Sliggoo walk into the living room; they see something that makes Serena's blood freeze in her veins.

A man is sitting in an armchair, he doesn't look happy.

He has a laptop sitting on his lap and his hands are gripping the arms of the chair as tightly as he can. His eyes are firmly fixed on the laptop screen.

His face is etched in rage; a large vein is throbbing in his forehead. This guy is clearly pissed.

He's wearing a long sleeved black shirt, the top button is undone. The shirt has a breast pocket, just above that pocket there are two letters stitched in gold thread. A. Y.

He's wearing a pair of blue jeans, along with a pair of black trainers.

* * *

He stands 6 foot 6 inches tall; he's quite muscular due to lifting heavy weights on a regular basis to keep fit. He's very broad shouldered and is very fond of intimidating others.

His hair is honey blonde, he keeps it quite short. His eyes are a deep shade of black, when you look into them you feel like they're boring into your skull.

He's a very strong willed man, who holds his family above everything else… There is absolutely nothing more important to him than his family, especially Serena.

His name is Alex Yvonne, Serena's father and Grace's husband. As Serena already said, he's extremely paranoid.

* * *

Serena freezes, her eyes shrink and she nervously swallows. "Dad….. When did you get back?"

Alex's eyes dart from the screen towards Serena, the vein in his forehead throbs harder.

"Serena… Where is he?" His voice is forcibly calm.

Sliggoo squishes herself down in an attempt to hide from him. Serena's eyes dart around nervously. "Ugh…. Who are you talking about?"

Alex slowly pulls the laptop lid down and takes a deep calming breath. "I saw everything Serena… You forgot about the camera I hid on the roof… I saw the whole thing…. Where is the man who fought with that Charizard?"

Serena nervously swallows and turns her eyes towards the doorway. "I'm not the only one who forgot about it… Mom did too"

Grace pokes her head into the living room, as does Shauna, Fletchling is still on Grace's shoulder. "Mom forgot what?" Grace asked as they both walked into the room and walked over towards the sofa. Fletchling flies off Grace's shoulder and lands on the back of the sofa, watching them all curiously, from a safe distance.

Alex turns his attention to Grace; he slowly and calmly moves the laptop down to the side of his chair. He takes another deep breath and then stands up. "Darling…. Where is Red? I want to ask him some questions"

Charla pokes her head around the door way and listens in. _"He's on his way"_

Serena, Shauna, Sliggoo and Grace all nervously sweatdrop. "What are you going to do to him?" Serena asked.

Alex slowly turns his head to look at Serena. "I want to ask him some questions"

"Ask away" Red said.

They all turn their heads around to the doorway; Red is standing beside Charla's head. His arms are crossed and he doesn't look happy. "If you have something to say, come out and say it"

Alex fixes his eyes firmly on Red; he raises his right hand and gestures for Red to come closer. Red walks into the middle of the room, Alex meets him halfway. He puffs out his chest and stands up straight, in an obvious attempt to intimidate Red.

Red doesn't move in the slightest, a look of irritation falls across his face. "Are you going to ask me a question, or not?" The only thing to be heard in his voice, is irritation.

Serena blushes lightly. "So brave" She thought.

Alex scoffs. "Who are you and why are you here?"

Red's expression doesn't shift in the slightest. "Name's Red Ketchum… Lily's brother. I came here to keep a promise I made when I was a child…. Got a problem with that?" His tone shifted as he asked the question.

Alex narrows his eyes and leans his head down slightly, expecting Red to back up or at least lean back. Instead, Red leans his head forward slightly. "Don't try to intimidate me….. You won't like what happens" Red growled.

Serena and the others all swallow nervously. "Alex…. Trust me, back down…. Red just-" Grace began before being cut off.

"I know what he's done. He got into a fight with the big Charizard. I saw the whole thing through the camera" Alex growled.

Red narrows his eyes and clenches his fists. "Get out of my face….. If you really saw it all, then you know that I'm an Aura User… You've no idea how dangerous I am" He growled deeper than before.

Alex presses his forehead into Red's. "Don't give me orders….. Boy"

Red's eyes change, they wash blood red briefly. Alex moves his head back slightly, he stares into Red's eyes with confusion. "How did that happen? Why'd your eyes change colour?"

Red thrusts his right hand upwards, he latches onto Alex's throat and squeezes it tightly, not enough to cut off his air, just enough to make it harder to breath.

Alex grabs Red's hand with both of his, trying desperately to break free.

The others all nervously sweatdrop. Serena alone is able to speak. "Red don't hurt him, he's just trying to scare you"

Red tilts his head to the side, watching Alex's face curiously. "I warned you" He spat.

With one fluid motion he lifts Alex straight up into the air and turns around to face Serena. He stares into Alex's eyes with a hard stare. "Never try to intimidate me… You'll never do it"

Alex desperately claws at Red's hand, his legs kick out into Red's gut. Red barely even feels it. "If I let you down, will you behave yourself? This may be your territory…. But I'm a lot stronger than you…. I could easily break you in half" He narrows his eyes. "Don't, do that again"

Alex's face is turning red, in a mixture of rage and fear. "Do what?" He rasped.

Red smirks darkly. "Never call me Boy… Ever. I _hate_ being called Boy…. If you promise not call me that again, I'll let you down. Deal?"

Alex manages to nod his head. Red closes his eyes. "Was that so hard?"

He immediately loosens his grip and lowers Alex back down. When Alex's feet touch the floor, Red releases him completely.

Red's hands drop to his sides, and a faint smile falls onto his face.

Alex clutches his throat with both hands and coughs a bit. His face is once again turning purple with rage.

The others all breathe a sigh of relief; they all know there's nothing they could do to stop Red…. Other than ask him to anyway.

Red stares at Alex. "Don't piss me off again… I won't show mercy next time"

Grace and Shauna exchange nervous looks. "Alex… I'd listen to him if I were you… He's _very_ strong… He took a Dragon Claw through his chest, and he's still standing. He's fucking strong" Shauna said as her face turned pale again.

Serena nods her head. "He lost so much blood… Red maybe we should take you to the hospital"

Red narrows his eyes and turns his attention to Serena. "There is no way in hell that I'm _ever_ going to a hospital… If you want me to go, then you'll have to drag my cold dead corpse there… Good luck with that"

Alex stops coughing; he stands tall and once again tries to intimidate Red by puffing out his chest and staring down at him. "Next question…. How the hell can you understand what Charizard's saying?"

Red raises an eyebrow. "That's an easy one… Your try spending ten years in the wild, surrounded by Pokémon, and _not_ learn a thing or two…. I may be a moron, but even I can learn _something_ in ten years"

Alex crosses his arms, and narrows his eyes. "OK then, let's say I believe you…. Explain this to us, how do you learn their tongue?"

Red crosses his arms as well, and narrows his eyes. "How did _you_ learn a tongue? There's no difference"

Alex drops his arms and stares Red down. Red doesn't budge in the slightest, he stares Alex down in return.

Sensing that Red and Alex are about to start fighting, Grace asks Red the first thing that pops into her head. "Ugh… Red, how did you change colour?"

Red's eyes return to normal, he relaxes slightly, uncrosses his arms and turns to look at her. "Oh that, that's one of my powers… It's called Aura Step. But I call it Aura Walking, Aura Running or Aura Sprinting… Depending on how fast I'm moving"

"It's the process of turning your physical body into pure Aura, while you're in that state, you can't be harmed by physical things….. Only by Aura. Your strength and speed greatly increase. But you become unable to interact with the physical world"

A look of confusion washes over Serena's face. "But you hit Calem while you were like that….. I'm confused" She thought.

"However, if you channel your power into a part of your body you can temporarily turn it physical again…. Aura Step is a means of defence, attacking and moving faster…. I use it to move faster and to strike my opponents down….. I don't bother with defence, ever… You can't stay like that for long though, it's a great strain on your body; it only lasts for a few seconds"

Now Serena understands, now it makes sense to her.

The others look a little confused, but satisfied with his answer. "Alright then… I think we get it" Alex said. He turns around and looks at Serena. "Now I have a question for you…"

They're all surprised by this; they all thought Alex was only goanna grill Red. Red turns around and glares at him "What? What could you want to ask Serena?" Grace asked.

"Serena….. What did you do? You did…. That strange thing… You glowed blue" Alex asked with concern.

They all seem to have forgotten that Serena did that, she even forgot it.

"Ugh….. I don't know…. I just knew Red needed help, and I….. Did that" Serena said, her voice echo's her confusion and disbelief.

Red clears his throat, they all turn their attention to him. "I know what happened…. I know how she did that"

Serena looks at Red with confusion. "What? You know?"

Red nods his head. "Yeah I know, isn't the answer obvious? Serena's the same as me, she's an Aura User"

"WHAT?!" They all shouted.

Red looks surprised. "You heard me, what else could it be? She used her Aura to destroy my barrier…. I can tell you, that's not exactly easy…. Serena, you're an Aura User, and a bloody strong one at that"

Serena's eyes widen in shock, she hadn't really thought about until know…. But she used her Aura twice today… But she didn't really think about it, there have been _other_ things for her to think about.

"(Serena… Ignore what I'm saying about being an Aura User, that's for your family and Shauna…. I'll tell you the truth later. Promise)" Red said to her via Aura Message.

Serena doesn't give any indication that she understands, to do so would be to alert the rest of them that Red is lying.

They all slowly turn their heads to face Serena, they're looking at her like they've never seen her before.

Red's face turns to a look of annoyance. "Don't look at her like that, she's the exact same person she was yesterday…. Except now she's a serious threat to you all, as well as herself"

They all bolt their heads towards Red, they all stare at him with confusion and hints of anger. "What are you saying? Serena wouldn't hurt a Caterpie" Grace said defensively.

Red crosses his arms, and rolls his eyes again. "I know that, but because she's an Aura User and she can't control her powers, she's a serious threat….. Hey I was too… Her powers will be wild and untamed. They will burst out randomly, cause massive harm, or they could help" He shrugs his shoulders. "There's simply no way of knowing"

"S-S-S-So what can we do? Serena can't live like this. There's no way my baby girl's going away so she can learn to control this" Grace said firmly.

All of them, with the exception of Serena, stare at Red with angry glares.

Red sighs. "Serena cannot stay here….. But she's not going alone, she's coming with me"

Serena blushes lightly. Shauna raises an eyebrow and looks at Serena slyly. "Are you two just using this as an excuse?" She thought.

Grace smiles broadly at Red. "She's going with him?... That's perfect, she gets what she wants _and_ she'll be safe" She thought.

Alex glares at Red even angrier; he snarls deeply and clenches his hands into fists. "What?"

"Serena is leaving with me… I can train her to use her powers, she'll learn much quicker if there's someone to teach and train her"

Red's face drops to a look of pure fear; he lowers his head to hide it from the others. "There is also another reason that she _must_ come with me…. Her life depends on it" His voice is low and filled with fear.

Their attention spikes. "What do you mean?" Serena asked with fear.

He takes a deep breath, and slowly releases it. "To answer that question, I must first explain what happened to Charizard"

A flash of white light bursts from his pocket and lands on the coffee table in front of the sofa. The table quickly cracks, the legs snap and the table falls to the ground.

The light gets larger and takes the form of Charizard. The light quickly fades, revealing the large fire dragon. His hands are clutching his stomach, which is growling very loudly.

" _Boss… I'm hungry, you forgot to feed me"_ He moaned.

Red facepalms and sighs. "Charizard…. I didn't forget, I have other things to do as well. First of all, everyone this is Charizard, Charizard you know most of them… The guy is Serena's Dad, Alex"

Shauna begins shaking nervously, Grace nervously swallows, Fletchling jumps out of his feathers, and flies back onto Grace's shoulder. Charla blushes lightly. Serena smiles at him.

Alex looks at Charizard, analysing him looking for weakness. "I see you've been through a fight or two"

Charizard looks down at Alex. _"Can I eat him?"_

Charla giggles slightly. Fletchling scoots closer to Grace's head.

Red thinks carefully for a moment, and makes the expression. "Hmmm…. Serena would you object if Charizard ate him?"

Serena looks at him with a look that says, are you seriously asking me that? "Yes Red, I would"

Red shrugs his shoulders. "Nope, Charizard you can't eat him. I said I'll feed you later, there's something important we have to do first"

Alex sweatdrops in fear. "He wants to eat me?" Everyone ignores his question thought.

Charizard narrows his eye and growls at Red. _"This better be good… Nothing is more important than food"_

Red scowls at the overweight dragon. "Him….. Is that more important than food?"

Charizard sweatdrops heavily. _"Shit….. I forgot… OK then, that's more important. But can I get some food after?"_

Red turns back to the others. "Sorry about that…. Charizard's mind is almost always on food. The only time it's not is when it's on battling"

Grace looks at Charizard with fear. "Hey, he broke my table"

Red sweatdrops. "Sorry…. I'll try to replace it"

Charizard puts on a huge grin, he looks like he's had the best idea ever. _"Ooooh oooooh! I've had an idea for a funny gag, let me do it Boss"_

Red rolls his eyes and crosses his arms again. "Get it over with"

Charizard smiles at Alex. _"Tell him, I'm called Charizard, and I am here for his pantry"_

Red looks confused, he looks over his shoulder. "The fuck's that?"

" _How do you not know what a pantry is?"_

"How do _you_ know what it is?"

" _How the fuck should I know? Just go with the gag"_

Red sighs, and turns towards Alex. "He says his name is Charizard and he's here for your pantry… Whatever the fuck that is"

Serena, Shauna and Grace smile, they all feel more relaxed around Charizard now. Charla blushes a little more, and Fletchling looks at Charizard suspiciously… He doesn't trust him, but he knows that he's nothing but a squawking toothpick to him.

Alex looks at Charizard with an annoyed grin. "Well Charizard, I have a shotgun upstairs, and I'm not afraid to use it. Touch the food, and I will shove my gun up your ass and shoot your guts out"

Serena covers Sliggoo's ears. "DAD! First of all, that sounds incredibly gay. So much so that it's not that much of a threat, all we can hear is…. Well you get the point. Secondly, don't use that kind of language around Sliggoo… She's too young"

Charizard narrows his eye and smirks. _"Challenge accepted"_

Red facepalms. "He says challenge accepted…. Trust me, never get between Charizard and food. He might mistake you for a starter. Believe me, I know"

Alex turns to look at Serena. "How many times must I say this, Sliggoo isn't a child. She's an adult and she can hear language like that" He said firmly.

Red drops his hand. "What the hell are you talking about? Sliggoo's a child…. No more than nine in human years"

Serena beams at Red, and removes her hand from Sliggoo's ears. "Thank you Red… I'm glad _someone_ actually understands"

Grace smiles at Alex. "I told you Serena knows Sliggoo better than we do, I knew she was young but I didn't know how….. Actually Red how do you know she's young?"

"I live in the wild…. Well a forest to be specific… I've seen countless Pokémon be born, I've helped raise them. I think I know how to tell the age of a Pokémon. Besides, Dragon's live a lot longer than most species do, so it takes them longer to grow. When they evolve their growth accelerates to go with the evolution…. If she evolved right now, she'd become a moody teenager…. You should know what that's like"

Alex scoffs. "For your information, Serena is an angel… She always has been, and always will be…. Now get back to why you think she's going with you" He said bitterly.

Red's face turns to a look of seriousness once again. "Yeah…. First of all, none of you have any reason to be afraid of Charizard…. Unless you're hiding food. He didn't attack me earlier"

They all look at him with doubt. "Yeah, and that's why your both soaked to the bone in your blood, Red" Shauna said sarcastically.

Red's expression doesn't change. "His body attacked me, but it wasn't him. Unless you're a total idiot, then you must know that I'm not the only Aura User in the world. There are lots of us. One of in particular concerns me… Today, he used his Aura to try and posses me… He failed miserably. So, he possessed Charizard instead"

Charizard looks at the floor and growls lowly. _"He got lucky… If I wasn't distracted, then he would never have succeeded"_

"He took control of Charizard to hurt me…. Not just physically….. But mentally. That's what he does best" Red said bitterly.

"His name is Eis **(A/N Pronounced Ice)** ….. He took control over Charizard so I would be forced to attack him….. So I would be forced to hurt my brother"

They all turn their attention to Charizard; and feel a burst of pity for him.

"That sick son of a bitch has been hunting me for ten years….. For ten fucking years I've had to deal with him. It seems he followed me here. I can't stay here for too long, otherwise he might come for you all in the hopes of getting to me…. That's why I'm leaving as soon as I can"

"Get to the fucking point, what makes you think Serena's going with you?" Alex asked bitterly.

Serena scowls at him. "Maybe because I _want_ to go with him? Maybe because we promised to go on a journey together when we were kids? Lily's coming with us…. At least she will when she finds out he's back"

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Alex barked. "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT'S GOANNA HAPPEN!"

"DAD, I'M A GROWN WOMAN AND I CAN DO WHAT I WANT! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T DO!" Serena shouted back.

"Or who" Shauna added, making Serena and Red blush.

"Enough" Red said. "Enough…. Yes I plan on keeping the promise I made to Serena and my sister….. But there is another reason… A reason that put's her life in danger"

"Go on" Alex spat.

"Eis is a sick son of a bitch, because he hunts other Aura Users…. He hunts us down, draws out our deepest powers, then strips them from us… By killing us, and absorbing our Aura…. Today he found out that Serena is an Aura User, so he'll be coming for her….. If she comes with me, I can protect her…. I've kept him at bay for ten years… I can handle protecting her as well"

Serena blushes even deeper. "He wants to protect me…." She thought.

The blood drains from everyone else's faces. "What?" Grace whispered.

"He's coming for Serena, as well as me….. He's not above killing innocents to make others suffer. He'll probably kill all of you as well…. Don't worry, I'll stop him" Red said bitterly.

Alex clenches his fists again. "What trouble have you brought to our door? If it wasn't for you…. He wouldn't even be here"

"Yeah… You're right, he wouldn't….. There's nothing I can do to undo that… But I can protect you all from him, though you I'm not so sure about…. He won't attack during the day, he hates the sunlight. He attacks during the night, when he can hide in the shadows"

"But he attacked today. He possessed Charizard" Shauna said with fear.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to be outside when he does that. He just needs to be near us. He won't show his face until the sun light fades"

"What is he? A vampire?" Alex said patronisingly.

Red thinks for a moment. "Well… He likes to drink the blood of his victims. But I don't think he's a vampire, he's just disgusting…. Now, are you going to stand here arguing with me, or are you going to let me finish?" Red asked patronisingly.

Alex grunts at him.

"I'll keep watch tonight, but tomorrow we need to leave… When he shows himself. Stay in here… Don't try to be a hero, he'll cut you down without a moment's hesitation… I'm the only one who has a chance against him. He won't get to any of you"

Charizard growls lowly at Red. He responds by growling back at him. "No. He's mine"

"So… A mad man is coming for my daughter?" Grace said with tears in her eyes.

"Yes….. But if she comes with me, I can train her to use her powers. She'll be able to defend herself from him. Besides, if I get the chance…. I'm killing him"

Serena's smile drops. "Red… Please don't talk like that… It really bothers me"

"Sorry, but it's what must be done… That sick son of a bitch has caused too much pain, killed too many innocents, done too much evil to deserve the precious gift of life…. To stop him from taking more, I must take his from him"

Charizard stops growling, but continues to stare at the floor.

Alex still looks angry. "Is that all? Is that all you could come up with? Oh please I wasn't born yesterday… This 'Eis' doesn't exist, you made him up so you could steal my daughter away from me"

Red narrows his eyes aggressively; he bares his teeth and growls deeply. His entire body tenses up; he clenches his fists.

Charizard looks at Red, then at Alex. _"You really shouldn't have said that….. Oh you shouldn't have said that"_

Red breathes deeper through his nose, he snorts out each breath. His eye begin to change, a drop of blood red slowly flows through them, it swirls through them until they turn completely blood red.

They're all staring at him with fear, with the exceptions of Alex and Serena.

Alex isn't frightened in the slightest, Red's simply throwing a tantrum, he won't do anything but rant and rave like a child…. Well that's what he thinks anyway.

Serena trusts Red, she knows he won't hurt her… If he wanted to, he could have killed them all long ago, if he wanted to hurt them, they'd already be hurt…. She doesn't fear Red in the slightest.

A large anger point forms on Red's forehead, and a vein begins to throb next to it.

Charizard taps Red's shoulder. _"Boss… Why not just show them he's real? You've got proof"_

Red slowly turns his head towards Charizard. "Yeah…. Good idea" He growled.

He turns back to Alex. "You want proof? OK then"

He grabs his right sleeve and rips it clean off. The stitching around the armpit was already damaged, so the rest of it gave easily.

He looks at the sleeve and then throws it at Charizard. "Have fun"

Charizard snatches it and smirks broadly. _"I love doing this"_ He holds the sleeve over his tail flame, in a matter of seconds the sleeve is aflame.

The flame burns brightly, the sleeve burns to cinders into ashes in seconds.

* * *

Red's right arm is very strong, but more than that. He seems to have a tattoo on his upper arm, just above his elbow.

It's a jet black skull; about the size of a fist. The eye sockets seem to follow you as you move, just by looking at it; you get the feeling that you're being watched.

The tattoo gives off evil vibes, evil seems to radiate from it. This is defiantly no normal tattoo.

* * *

They're eyes are all drawn to the skull, they instantly feel like the eyes are watching them.

Fear washes over them all, one by one the blood drains from they're faces.

Red points towards the skull. "You feel it? _This_ is all the proof I have….. That bastard gave me this when we first met….. He said he was _marking_ me for death, that every time I see it, I'll be reminded that I'm living on borrowed time"

Serena remembers Red doing the same to Calem. "So that's why you marked him, you know how it feels" She thought.

"It's not a tattoo. He burned this into my flesh with his Aura, that's why it makes you feel strange when you look at it. You're feeling his Aura"

Charizard turns his head away from it; he can't bear to look at it. _"I've seen that thing more than enough over the years…. I don't need to see it again"_

Alex nervously swallows. "I'm sorry Red, I did not know… He's hurt you, hasn't he?"

Red doesn't respond, he covers the mark with his free hand… He didn't really think ripping his sleeve off through.

As soon as the mark is hidden from sight, the strange feeling leaves their minds and they return to their senses.

Red drops his head and closes his eyes. "You have no idea what pain is. Not even the faintest inkling" He opens his eyes and slowly lifts his head. His eyes are firmly fixed on Serena.

"I won't let him do the same to Serena. No matter what, he will _not_ do the same to her" Pain rings through his voice and swirls through his eyes.

Grace swallows and plucks up her courage. "Serena….. When you go shopping, get some supplies… You have to go with him, and you'll need supplies when you're on the road"

Serena nods her head. "Yeah….. We will"

Red closes his eyes, and turns his head away from her. "Serena… Would you mind if we visited my family? I haven't seen them in so long; I really miss them all"

Serena's heart melts a little bit. "Oh Red, off course we can. Tell you what, after you've had a shower I'll call them for you, you can see them again"

Red turns back to her and opens his eyes. "Thank you Serena…. Thank you"

 **Time skip: 1 hour**

Serena escorted Red to the bathroom and told him how to use it without burning himself.

Something happened that Serena didn't intend. Red asked what the soap was, she made the mistake of telling him that it was a block of fat.. A fatal mistake.

Red thought she meant it was food, and took a bite out of it. He screwed up his face, spat it out, clawed at his tongue and shouted. "THAT TASTED **NOTHING** LIKE YOU SAID IT WOULD!"

Serena couldn't believe her eyes, she told him to rinse his mouth out while she "borrowed" some of her dad's clothes for him.

She returned to find Red trying to drink shampoo. He's lucky she stopped him before he drank any of it.

She finally gave up at this point, she left the room and told him to get on with it.

* * *

Charla once again tried to get Charizard's attention; he instantly tried to scramble out of the living room window. But… There was a slight hitch, he got stuck and they had to try and push him out.

That didn't work out very well though, Red told them to put some food outside, if that wouldn't get him out nothing would.

Red was right, as soon as he saw the food Charizard forced himself out of the window.

After he devoured the food, Charla once again tried to get his attention, she just doesn't give u. Charizard announced that he'd had enough, and flew off into the sky. Charla quickly flew off after him. She quickly lost sight and scent of him.

Charizard quickly came back, not a drop of Red's blood was on him. When Sliggoo asked about it, he looked horribly embarrassed and refused to speak of it.

* * *

Red has just finished his shower and gotten dressed in the clothes Serena put out for him.

He's wearing a black short sleeved shirt, with a pair of black jeans. She put some shoes and socks out for him, but he's not got any intension of putting them on.

Serena knocks on the door to the bathroom. "Red? Are you decent?" She called through the door.

"Please say no" She thought.

"Yeah, you can come in if you want" He replied.

Serena's a little disappointed, but she opens the door regardless.

The smell of Pecha and Oran berries washes over her. She takes the smell in and smiles broadly.

"Well that smells nice, so much better than before"

Red has an I am not amused look on his face. "Speak for yourself… I think this is _far_ worse than before….. Charizard and Blade will never let me live this down" He said bitterly.

Serena giggles slightly. "Who is Blade anyway? You keep mentioning him, but I've never met him. When can we meet him?"

"Blade's not very sociable…. He doesn't like me just letting him out; he'll come out if he wants to"

Blade's Pokéball wiggles. _"I don't want to watch you ogle her… You think I don't know what you're doing? Your heart beat GREATLY increases whenever you're talking to her…. I can't see what you're doing, but I don't need to"_

Red blushes beetroot red. "Oh god I hoped they didn't notice" He thought.

Serena tilts her head to the side and smirks. "Why are you blushing Red?" She asked slyly.

"Ugh… I um…. Ugh….. I um" Red babbled.

She giggles a little bit; she puts her hands behind her back and turns to her side on the spot. "Go on, you can say it….. Is it because you like my new clothes?" She blushed as she spoke.

He hadn't thought about it, to be honest he hadn't even noticed. "Ugh…"

She pouts seductively. "No?... Oh" She sharply lifts her chest up, making her tits jiggle slightly. "What about my blouse? Don't you like it?" She blushed deeper as she spoke.

His eyes almost pop out of his head, he quickly turns his head away in embarrassment. "Ugh….. Yeah it's nice"

She pouts heavier. "Hey, don't just say yes mindlessly. Take a good look…. _Please_?"

He slowly turns to look at her, he starts at her feet. His eyes slowly rise up, without intending them to; his eyes linger on her waste.

She notices where his eyes are lingering and smiles broadly. "Maybe I do have a chance….. I need to ask Lily for advice on getting a guy's attention" She thought.

Red forces his eyes to climb higher, they absorb her new look…. Once again they linger without him telling them to, this time on her chest.

She blushes even deeper. "Oh I've got him…. Hehehehehe" She thought. She slowly wiggles her chest from side to side, making her tits jiggle again.

Red's eyes come even closer to popping out of his head; he forces them to move up higher.

Their eyes meet, this time Serena turns her head away. As she does, her hair waves through the air and her bow catches his attention.

"You're still wearing the bow? Even after all this time?" He asked weakly.

She slowly turns back to him. "Yeah… I like it… Do you?"

He nods his head and blushes lightly. "It's just as beautiful as it was when we were kids"

They both blush deeper. "Thanks Red…. So you like my new clothes then?" She asked weakly.

He plucks up his courage and tells her the truth. "Yeah…. They make you look even more beautiful"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING?! DON'T THINK LIKE THAT YOU STUPID IDIOT!" The voice in his head shouted.

They both blush deep crimson and try to hide it from each other. "Yes! I _do_ have a chance…. I need to work on him some more" She thought.

She turns to the door and pulls it open. "Well then, let's give Lily and the others a call" She turns towards the door way and takes a step out.

She stops and looks over her shoulder. "Thanks Red… Thanks a lot"

He smiles back at her. "I only told the truth….. Hold on, there's something I forgot about"

She turns around to see him properly. He crouches down in front of the pile of his old clothes.

He reaches into his trouser pocket, and pulls out Charizard and Blade's Pokéballs, he also carefully removes his burnt up picture.

He pops the Pokéballs into the pocket of the trousers he's borrowing, but he doesn't put the picture away. He carefully cradles it in his hands and looks at it.

"You're all that kept me going during the darkest times….. I ask you for your aid tonight, he's coming for me once again… I will stand and fight, you know I will….. But please, protect them for me" He thought.

A soft and gentle feminine voice caresses his ears. "Red…."

He turns his head, Serena was the one who spoke to him…. He just didn't realise it.

She has tears of happiness in her eyes. "You kept that picture?... After all these years… You kept it?"

He stands up slowly, so as to not risk dropping the picture. "Yeah, It's all I have left that reminds me of home… It's been my good luck charm for years"

She leans in closer to look at it, while its badly damaged…. She recognises it all the same. "It's damaged…. Would you like me to print off a new one for you? I kept mine too, it's in my room"

He smiles. "Thanks Serena…. But I'd like to keep this one….. There's a lot of memories behind it, and I don't want to lose them"

She smiles and nods her head. "OK then… Let's go back down and give them a call"

He carefully pockets the picture and nods his head.

 **Time skip: 5 minutes**

They went back downstairs, both Red and Serena ignored Shauna's jokes about their red faces. They also ignored Alex's threats to castrate Red if he so much as touched Serena.

They both went straight to the phone, where Serena punched in the number. Now they are waiting for someone to answer the phone.

* * *

The screen has the phone symbol in the centre, with the word ringing above it.

Serena and Red wait eagerly for someone to answer them, the excitement is building within him. He hasn't seen any of them for so long… He's desperate to see them all again.

"I hope their still home, its Delia's day off. Lily should still be there… Unless the plumber wasn't _man_ enough for her" She said with a smile.

Not a moment after she said this, the screen changed. A young woman answers their call.

* * *

She stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, she has light blonde hair, it's not very long, but it's long enough for her to put it in a ponytail.

Her eyes are a beautiful emerald green. Her cheeks are rosey, she's wearing a small amount of blush. Her skin is very fair, it's the colour of ivory.

Her tits are big enough to give her more than an ample supply of cleavage, she's a DD. Her ass is very curvy, it looks like a cushion.

She's wearing a thin silver chain around her neck, it's gently holding onto her Swanna like neck. A small pendant is hanging from it; it's circular with a small amount of detail.

A line has been engraved down the centre of the pendant; the right half of the pendant is very plain. The edge is rimmed with what looks like flames circling it.

The left half of the pendant has craters engraved into it; nothing is around the edge though.

The right half looks like the sun, while the left half is clearly the moon. The line is all that keeps the two halves apart.

* * *

She's wearing a tight hot pink tube top; it leaves little to the imagination. Over that, she's wearing a long sleeved white jacket. It has two visible pockets on the front; one on either side and it has three buttons to keep it closed.

She's wearing her jacket open, to show off her top and belly. She's also wearing tight blue jeans; they're hugging her ass very well.

Finally, she's wearing a pair of light tan boots that climb up her long legs. They stop just beneath her knees, and have a slight heel on them.

Her name is Lily Ketchum, Red's twin sister… She's blossomed into a beautiful young woman.

* * *

Lily's eyes are narrowed and she's wearing a sly smirk.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Her voice is very strong, but also feminine. She's a woman with a strong will.

Red's eyes widen in happiness, he instantly recognises her. "Oh my god….. That's my sister" He thought weakly.

Serena playfully rolls her eyes. "You know who I am, so don't give me all that"

"Serena who?" Lily said sharply.

Serena smiles broadly and points at the screen. "HA! You slipped up and said my name" She said slyly.

Lily pouts, crosses her arms and blows a raspberry. "Crap…." She whined.

Her eyes roll over to Red, she stops pouting and uncrosses her arms. "Who's the hunk? Have you finally got a boyfriend? IS HE ANY GOOD?!" She asked with excitement.

Both Red and Serena blush beetroot red, they both nervously look around in an attempt to hide it from each other.

Red scratches the back of his head. "Sweet merciful crap….. This isn't happening"

"My sister is _NOT_ asking this about me" He thought.

Serena waves her hands in front of her face nervously. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! WE'RE JUST FRIEND!"

Lily smirks broader. "Oh Serena you can't hide it from me…. You want him badly, but until you claim him he's fair game" She thought.

She leans back slightly, puffs out her chest and slowly bats her eyelashes. "So you're available big boy…. Well, I'm not as shy as Serena… Why don't you come round, so I can take you for a ride?... I won't bite… Too much… My name's-"

"Lily. I know who you are" Red rambled. "Oh sweet merciful crap this isn't happening…"

Lily drops her smirk, stops batting her eyelashes, stands normally and looks at Red with confusion. "Wha? Has Serena already told you my name?"

Red nervously swallows and scratches the back of his head. "Well yeah, but she didn't need to….. I'm the one who introduced you to each other"

She looks at him with even more confusion.

"Oh come on you've got to recognise me…. I haven't changed that much"

Lily tilts her head to the side, and turns her attention to Serena. "Is he bullshitting me?"

Serena shakes her head frantically. "NO! No he's not…. Think back to summer camp when we first met…. You mooned The Pikachu Princess… Who introduced us?"

Lily thinks back to when she first met Serena, she remembers mooning and shouting kiss my ass Yellow…. Then…..

Her eyes slowly widen in astonishment, the confusion falls from her face. Her mouth slowly opens and tears of joy flood her eyes. She slowly turns her attention to the embarrassed and flustered Red.

"Oh my god… I solicited my own brother for sex" She whispered.

Red smiles at her weakly. "Hi Lily…. It's been a while"

Serena beams at Lily. "Surprise"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Lily screamed at Serena.

They both sweatdrop. "I was trying to surprise you…. But you started hitting on him"

"Ugh…. Is there any chance we can pretend that never happened? Please?" Red asked weakly.

They both nod their heads frantically. "Red's back and he's here to stay" Serena said.

A tear of joy rolls down Lily's cheek. "Red…. Are you really back?"

He smiles back at her and nods his head. "Your peace has ended… The monster's back"

Lily wipes the tear away, and turns around on the spot. "MOM! GRAMPA! GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE! YOU'RE NOT GOANNA BELIEVE WHO'S ON THE PHONE!"

Red's excitement is building, hopefully seeing the rest of his family won't be as awkward as seeing Lily again was.

Serena can see how excited Red is; it's making her feel happy too.

Lily moves to her side, allowing another woman to poke her head in. She's considerably older than Lily and she has brown hair.

She's Delia, Lily and Red's mother.

Delia has aged well, the only real difference is that she has a few faint wrinkles and crow's feet beside her eyes.

* * *

"What is it Lily?" She said, having not seen either Red or Serena.

Lily smiles broadly at her, she cries a few more tears as well. "Look who's on the phone"

Delia tilts her head in confusion. "Lily what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her voice is filled with concern for her daughter.

Lily smiles at her. "Look who's on the phone… You'll understand"

Delia looks irritated with Lily, but turns her attention to the screen regardless.

"Hel-….." Her eyes widen when they fall on Red, she recognises him instantly. "My baby"

Red smiles at her. "Hi Mom"

A smile quickly forms on Delia's face, tears quickly form in her eyes. "You've come back to us…" She whispered.

Red slowly nods his head. "Yeah…. I'm back"

Serena smiles warmly at them both, her heart warms.

As quickly as they came, the tears in Delia's eyes fade and her smile drops. She scowls deeply at Red.

"YOUNG MAN WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN FOR TEN YEARS?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WHERE?! WE WERE WORRIED YOU WERE **DEAD**!" She screamed into the phone.

Red's smile drops and he nervously sweatdrops. "Ugh… I've been in the wild…. Living in a forest….. Like I said I would be" He nervously said.

Delia scowls even deeper. "OH SO YOU COULDN'T GO TO A TOWN AND GIVE US A CALL?! LET US KNOW YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?! OR DID YOU FORGET ABOUT US?!"

"Umm…. I never forgot any of you… My home isn't exactly _close_ to a town…. To be honest I'm not even sure where abouts it is… I was only able to come back at all was because I followed Serena's Aura" He said weakly.

"DON'T GIVE ME EXCUSES! WE ALL THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE?! DO YOU?!"

Red nervously swallows. "Yeah…. I know how that feels"

Before Delia has the chance to scream at Red again, Charizard provides a distraction….. Or rather Alex does.

* * *

The sound of a gunshot rings through the Yvonne's house. Serena sighs heavily. "Oh no… Not again" She said half-heartedly.

Red can feel through his connection with Charizard, that he's very pleased with himself.

" _HA! You missed me bitch!"_ He roared from the kitchen.

Red facepalms. "Oh no"

"THAT WAS A WARNING SHOT FAT ASS! NOW PUT THE FRIDGE DOWN!" Alex shouted.

Lily and Delia look at both Red and Serena with confusion. "What's 'Oh no' about?" Lily asked.

Red slides his hand down his face. "He's got into the food….." He turns to face Serena. "Kiss your pantry goodbye….. Whatever it is, it's had it… Charizard's got into it"

Serena turns to look into the kitchen. "Oh no… He's stealing the fridge"

Red facepalms again, and sighs. "Excuse me for a moment" He turns towards the kitchen and starts walking towards it. "GET YOUR FAT ASS AWAY FROM THAT! IT'S NOT OURS!"

Lily and Delia exchange looks of confusion. "I guess Charmander got bigger" Lily said.

"He's a Charizard now… He's bigger than Charla too" Serena said.

" _BOSS GIVE THAT BACK IT'S MINE!"_

"NO! YOU'RE FAT ENOUGH ALREADY! THIS FOOD ISN'T OURS AND YOU CAN'T EAT IT" Red shouted back at him.

Lily giggles a little bit. "Sounds like he's giving Red some trouble"

" _I GIVE YOU A CHOICE! EITHER PUT THAT DOWN, OR I EAT_ _ **YOU**_ _INSTEAD!"_

"BRING IT ON BITCH! LAST TIME DIDN'T WORK OUT LIKE YOU WANTED IT TO, SO WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THIS TIME WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT?! **BRING IT ON!** "

" _BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP ALREADY! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!"_ Blade shouted from his Pokéball.

"Red just put it down…. He's already emptied it out" Alex said.

"WHAT?! CHARIARD!" Red shouted.

" _Hehehehehehehehehehe… Should have got here sooner"_

"Are you telling me I wrestled this fridge from Charizard for nothing?... I hate you so much"

"I know, and I hate you as well" Alex replied.

Delia looks embarrassed. "I see he's met your Dad then…. Are they getting along?"

Serena sucks on her lips and rolls her eyes towards the ceiling. "Well… Define getting along… So far they haven't killed each other… Does that count?"

"THE FRIDGE DOESN'T GO THERE!" Alex shouted at Red.

"YOU DON'T LIKE IT?! **SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!** "

Lily giggles a bit more. "Oh I like his style"

"DON'T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Alex shouted.

" **DON'T SPEAK TO** _ **ME**_ **LIKE THAT! I'VE ALREADY WARNED YOU** _ **NOT**_ **TO PISS ME OFF AGAIN! IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP, I** _ **WILL**_ **SHOVE YOUR HEAD UP CHARIZARD'S ASS!"**

Delia covers her mouth with both hands and blushes deeply. "Oh my gosh…. He didn't just say that… Did he?"

" _THE HELL YOU WILL!"_

Serena smiles nervously. "Yeah…. He did"

"Charizard…. Get in there right now, before I make you" Red said, his voice is forcibly calm.

" _OK then"_ Charizard said weakly.

* * *

Charizard plods into the living room, his head is hanging low and he looks depressed. _"I'm only doing this because I'm weakened…. If my stomach was full, I'd kick your ass for even thinking of giving me orders"_

"Shut it. I'm not in a good mood now, and I _will_ take it out on you" Red spat.

Red moves back to Serena's side, and smiles at the phone screen. Charizard plods behind them, and pokes his head in between theirs.

Both Delia and Lily's eyes widen in amazement. "Dear god…. Is that Charmander?" Lily asked.

Red grins smugly. "No, this is the S.S. Fat ass"

Charizard growls lowly at Red. _"I told you, it's Air Charizard. Not the S.S. Fat ass"_

Red rolls his eyes. "Same difference"

" _I know that voice"_ A weaker voice said, it's considerably older.

Lily and Delia turn around, then they each take a step to their left. Revealing an even older Lucario, he has more lines on his face than a roman map.

He's using a Bone Rush attack as a walking stick, both of his paws are holding onto it. He's still wearing his armour, although it's a lot more worn now, the symbol can't be seen at all anymore.

" _You have returned my son"_ Lucario said with a smile on his face and love in his eyes.

Red smiles back at him. "Hi Grampa"

A tear of joy runs down Lucario's face. _"I want you to know, I never believed you were dead…. You're too strong for that my son"_

Red smiles weakly at him. "Ugh…. Yeah….. Too strong"

"When are you guys coming here? You are coming to see us right?" Lily asked with hope.

"Off course we are Lily, there's just something Red's got to handle first" Serena said.

Lily smirks smugly. "Oh? Only the one? What's wrong with the other one? Just admit it, you're going all the way, aren't you?"

Red looks confused, but Serena blushes beetroot red. She waves her hands in front of her face. "THAT'S SO _NOT_ WHAT I MEANT!"

Lily smirks broadly, Delia blushes and looks at Lily nervously. Lucario rolls his eyes and slowly shakes his head.

Red raises an eyebrow. "The hell are you talking about?"

Serena sees an opportunity to get some attention from him, she puts her hands behind her back and sticks her chest out slightly. She slowly wiggles her chest from side to side, to try and get his attention.

"She was talking about…." She shrugs her shoulders and looks down at her chest.

Red's attention does not divert from her face, so he doesn't notice her jiggling tits.

"Wha? What's going on? I know I'm kinda stupid, but I don't get what's going on"

Charizard facepalms at Red's stupidity. _"Boss are you blind as well as dumb and ugly?"_ He points to Serena's tits. _"They're talking about her melons"_

Serena wraps her arms around her chest, concealing them from Charizard's claws. She blushes brightly. "Charizard, don't point"

Red blushes beetroot red, he turns back to the screen and does not shift his eyes from it. "Lily, must you make jokes like that?"

Lily smirks darkly. "Took you long enough to figure it out, do you even have a dick? How did you not stare at her when she jiggled them?"

Red blushes even deeper. "Lily, get your mind into reality. Yes I'm a guy…. But my mind has other things to think about. Besides, Serena is more than just a pair of tits, and an ass…. She's a woman"

Serena uncovers her chest, and smiles broadly at Red. She feels a burst of affection for him burn within her heart.

Delia smiles warmly at her son. "My son the gentleman"

Charizard falls over anime style. _"SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP! THE BOSS AIN'T NO GENTLEMAN!"_

Red rolls his eyes. "For once I agree with the S.S. Fat Ass, there's no way in hell that _I'm_ a gentleman…. I'm an asshole and proud"

Lucario chuckles lightly. _"I can see Charizard's well trained…. Tell me, why do you two insult each other?"_

Charizard lifts his head up. _"For the fun of it, that's why I do anything"_

Red points towards him. "You heard what he said….. Well its crap. We insult each other, mostly to try and piss each other off. At this point it's a game; whoever gives in and kills the other loses…" He said with a smile.

Charizard growls lowly at Red. _"I'm not giving in…. But no one's allowed to kill you but me… Well maybe Blade can"_

Red raises his eyebrows and half closes his eyes. "Unlike _you_ , Blade actually treats others with respect… He'd only kill me if I _really_ pissed me off, otherwise he'd only scar me…. Like last time"

Charizard nods his head in agreement.

Lily's eyes widen in excitement. "You caught another Pokémon? SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME!" She shouted with extreme excitement.

Red reaches into his pocket and pulls out Blade's Pokéball. "You feel like coming out and meeting the family?"

Blade's Pokéball wiggles in his hand. _"No"_

Red rolls his eyes. "He's not exactly sociable….. He'll come out when he feels like it. Blade, when we meet them in person you _have_ to come out and see them"

" _No"_

Lucario chuckles lightly. _"I see what you mean Red, don't like meeting new people Blade? Well my name's Lucario… We're brothers"_

Blade's Pokéball wiggles in Red's hand again. _"You're a Knight? Master told me about you….. I would like to meet you in person, would that be acceptable sir?"_

Lucario chuckles lightly. _"You call Red Master? I never thought you would allow something like that Red"_

Red scowls down at Blade's Pokéball. "I've asked him more times than I can count to stop calling me Master…. I can't exactly threaten him with a diet like Charizard…. He's _always_ on a diet….. I swear he only does it to wind me up"

" _I call you Master out of respect for the teachings and training you provide me….. As well as to wind you up"_ Blade said.

Red pockets Blade's Pokéball once again. "Sorry, he doesn't feel like saying hello"

Lily pouts. "I bet Serena's seen him"

"No I haven't, he won't come out" Serena piped up.

"So you're coming to see us? When?" Delia asked to change the subject.

Red thinks carefully. He's not sure when they'll be able to get to them.

"We'll be there tomorrow" Serena said with a smile.

Lily, Delia and Lucario's eyes widen and sparkle in excitement. "Really?" Lily asked.

Red shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah that sounds good…. Charizard's flying us in"

" _I am? I didn't know that"_

"If you want to get fed, then yes. You're flying us there….. It's not that far away"

Charizard crosses his arms. _"What if I say no?"_

Red scowls, then turns to look at him. They lock their eyes and begin a staring contest. "What if I say…. Charla, Charizard can't fight back… Have at him"

Serena and Lily giggle a little bit. Delia smiles and covers her mouth with her hand. Lucario raises an eyebrow.

Charizard sweatdrops, looks very embarrassed and breaks his stare. _"For the love of god don't do that…. I'll be good….. Don't let her know I'm in here, she thinks I'm flying"_

Red reveals in his victory. "If you behave, then I won't tell her"

He turns his attention back to the phone, as he does; he feels something round and hard gently press into his back.

Both Charizard and Serena see it, it's a double barrel shotgun…. That Alex is holding.

Red scowls darkly. "Step away from the phone Boy… NOW!" Alex barked.

Delia's smile turns to a look of fear, both Lily and Lucario watch curiously. The same question runs through both of their minds, what's Red goanna do?

Red feels the gun be pressed into his back harder, it still feels hot. "Alex. I will give you _one_ chance to save yourself… Put the gun down. Or have your head shoved up Charizard's ass" He said calmly.

Charizard snarls deeply at Red. _"There is no way in hell you're EVER doing that to me again…. I am not joking when I say that I will rip your guts out and eat them while you watch if you even TRY to do that to me again"_

Lucario raises an eyebrow. _"Again?"_

Alex gently puts pressure on the trigger. "Boy. I _will_ pull this trigger…. Step back, then turn to face me…. Otherwise I shoot" A bead of sweat runs down his forehead.

Fear floods through Serena. As deeply as her feelings run for him, she knows that Red is a killer now….. He won't hesitate to kill Alex. "Red… Please don't"

Red's scowl deepens, he takes a deep calming breath. "Charizard….. Would you mind backing away so I can do this without being cramped up"

Charizard smirks darkly. _"Hehehehe… Don't make too much of a mess Boss… I get to eat whatever's left"_

He turns around, licks his lips and then goes towards the window once again… Without giving a single thought as to how he would get through it without the motivation of food being on the other side.

Serena takes a step back as well, she doesn't want to be caught in the cross fire.

Red bolts around on the spot, knocking Alex's gun to the side. His eyes burn into Alex's mind, a wave of fear rushes through Alex… "What have I done?" He thought.

Red tilts his head to the side, like a child that's curious as to what will happen if he continues.

Alex snaps back to reality, and thrusts his gun into Red's chest. Red can feel the gun shaking slightly against his flesh. Not a trace of fear is in his eyes or his face.

"Do it" He whispered.

Confusion fills Alex. Did he hear Red correctly? Did Red just tell him to shoot him? Does this kid have a death wish? These thoughts run through his mind, as his finger wraps around the trigger.

Red leans his head forward slowly, the tension in the room thickens…. Red's clearly in control here.

"If you point a gun at me…. You just better pray you kill me with the first shot" He spat with venom.

In that moment, all those who Red left behind, realise just how much he's changed…. Lily turns to Lucario, she gives him a look that says you were right. Lucario looks back at her, then closes his eyes and lowers his head.

Delia's eyes wash with fear and tears. "My baby boy _is_ dead…. I don't recognise this man standing there" She thought.

Red grabs the barrel of the gun firmly with his right hand. "You just better pray this one shot has enough strength behind it to finish me off… Because if it doesn't….." He leans his head even closer. "You will be begging for death by the time I'm finished with you…. I've given you plenty of chances, simply because you're Serena's Dad….. I've given you more chances than I've given anyone…. Well no more"

Alex begins breathing shallow breaths and much faster than before, his hands are shaking worse than ever. He feels like he's staring down a Gyarados that he tried to eat before it evolved.

Red clenches down on the barrel of the gun, the metal quickly buckles in his powerful grasp. The barrels of the shotgun quickly collapse on themselves, rendering the gun useless.

Alex stares down at his now destroyed gun. His fear quickly trebles in size, his shaking gets significantly worse, his knees begin to buckle under his own weight.

Slowly, without him telling them to, his legs begin to bend and he begins sink down to the floor.

Red doesn't release his grip on the gun; he continues to stare down at Alex with anger swirling in his eyes. He pushes the gun towards Alex's chest, as he does a low growl escapes his mouth.

"I lost count of how many of _your_ kind have tried and failed to carve a reputation out of my hide… I've slaughtered them all…. Now, you'll join them in hell" He growled deeper than ever.

Red rips the gun out of Alex's grasp and holds it out to his side, allowing those on the phone to see just what he's done to it. This isn't a conscious decision on his part though, he's focused on one thing….. Killing Alex slowly and painfully.

Alex continues to sink towards the floor, Red takes a step forward, Alex is now on his knees, practically pleading with Red not to hurt him, with his eyes.

Red scoffs and grabs a handful of Alex's hair in his left hand. He drops the gun onto the floor, and holds his right hand in front of Alex's face.

"You couldn't give me five minutes….. I haven't seen my family for ten mother fucking years…. I finally get to see their faces…. I get to see how much my sister has grown… I can see my mother's eyes again….. I am allowed to see my Grampa once more….. And you take it as a chance to shove a gun in my back?... Say goodbye to your head"

In that moment, Serena understands…. Red missed his family… He missed them all more than words could ever say. He's had to deal with so much today… Calem…. Charizard….. This Eis guy….. And now her Dad…. But he's kept control over himself…. He's controlled himself and disregarded what he wanted to do, so he could see them all again…. And her Dad has stolen that chance from him.

His right hand begins to glow red, in an instant an Aura Orb is formed in front of it. The Orb is an inch away from Alex's face, if Red releases it….. Alex won't have a chance of survival.

Red smirks evilly, his eyes swirls with darkness for a moment. "I'm goanna enjoy this" He thought.

Serena's eyes widen when she sees the Orb, she remembers the damage it caused earlier. If it could snap a tree in half, what could it do to her Dad?

Alex closes his eyes and waits for his end to claim him. "At least I die defending my daughter" He thought.

Reacting purely on blind instinct, Serena lunges forwards and grabs Red's arms with both of her hands. "RED STOP!"

Red's neck snaps to his left and he glares at Serena with bloodlust burning in his eyes. "WHY?! WHY SHOULD I GIVE HIM ANOTHER SECOND OF LIFE?! HIS KIND TAKES IT FOR FUN!"

Her eyes wash with tears; they fall from her eyes freely. "Red…. He's only trying to protect me…. He thinks you're going to turn me against him…"

Red's eyes widen in shock, sweat floods down his forehead, his hands shake and his grip on Alex loosens.

"What?" He whispered. "H-H-H-H-H-He's….. Just being protective?" The Orb fades in a flash, Red instantly releases his grip on him and backs away from Alex.

His face is etched in a mix of horror and shock… The idea never entered his head until now… He never even considered that Alex was trying to protect Serena, he just thought he was trying to do what everyone else does to him….. Hunt him to earn a reputation.

Alex slowly opens his eyes and looks up at Red. "What? You didn't know I was protecting Serena? Off course I'm protecting her, she's my daughter…. Why wouldn't I protect her?"

Red backs up so much he bumps into the phone, he stops and claws at his head. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" He screamed.

He drops down to the floor, clutching his head as guilt surges through his entire being.

Serena turns her attention to the phone. "Sorry, got to cut this short. We'll meet you all in front of Lumiose tower at ten, bye"

Before any of them have the chance to answer Serena, she hangs up the phone, making the screen go blank and the sound stop.

 **Time skip: 1 hour**

Red quickly left the building, unable to accept what he had done…. What he was about to do….

No one offered any resistance as he left… Either out of respect, or fear….. He didn't know, or care… He only knew that he needed to be alone…

He found shelter on the roof; it allowed him to be on his own… But ensured that Eis would not be able to make a move any of those inside the house without him knowing.

There he has sat for almost an hour, in total silence… The only sound is the wind gently rolling over him and through the trees leafs.

He is sitting in the centre of the roof, his right leg fully extended, with his left acting as a post for him to lean on. His eyes are firmly focused on the sky…. The one thing that reminds him of his home….. The closest thing he has to true freedom.

* * *

His mind is surging with guilt… He keeps replaying his crime in his head. "I attacked an innocent…. A Father, who simply wanted to protect his daughter from what he perceived to be a threat…. I have done the same countless time before" He thought.

His mind wanders to his home. "It's the time for the young to be hatching… I wonder how many of them will open their eyes, to find they are alone in this world this time... I need to go back"

A stab of guilt plunges into his stomach, a memory of a promise passes through his mind. "I promised to stay here, I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have made a promise like that, I shouldn't have made a promise that I can't keep"

"What about those who need me?... Am I to abandon them? For my own happiness? They need me, and I abandoned them" More and more guilt stabs into his heart.

He takes a breath. "Mew… I must ask for your aid. I made a promise, I cannot break it. Please watch over them for me, just until I can make my way home to make other arrangements" His voice is empty and devoid of life.

After a moment, a ghost like copy of Mew appears before him.

She is a small pink, cat like Pokémon. She had a long thin tail that curls upwards at the end. She has two short stubby arms, along with a pair of long feet with short legs. Her eyes are rather large for her size, they're blue, but reflect the light of the moon.

" _Red… You want me to watch over the younglings? OK then… I'll look after them for a little while, but it's up to you to make permanent arrangements for them…. They're your responsibility Red"_ Her voice is like velvet against his ears.

He lowers his head. "They need your protection… They need your love…. Please, look after them for me"

She smiles warmly at him; she reaches forwards and gently lifts his head by lifting his chin.

" _Red, they don't need me…. They need YOU… But, it's not safe for you to be around them right now. You know what I mean"_

Red sighs. He knows exactly what she means. "I know…. The Beast is getting close to breaking free… I'll come back, after it's been beaten down. Can you take my place until then please?"

She moves her paw up to his cheek and places her other paw on his other cheek. _"Red, I can never take your place in their hearts…. But I'll do your job for you. I'll tell them that you, Blade and Charizard have gone to visit a friend who needed your help. But you'll be back, just as soon as you can… Oh, in exchange, please bring your friends and family with you… I want to meet them all"_

He finally cracks a smile. "OK then, I'm sure they'll want to see you to…. How do you do that? You always make us happy when we need it the most… How do you do it?"

She giggles lightly. _"How do you make them smile? How do you make them happy? How do you put up with them all biting you? Because it's who you are Red, you're a kind, caring man…. I make you happy, because you want to be happy. It's what I do….. Goodbye Red, I hope to see you soon, as well as your family and friends… Any new friends you make are also welcome here"_

His smile grows wider, his cold heart warms slightly. "Thankyou Mew…. Good luck with them, they're a handful"

As quickly as she came, she fades back into thin air. Leaving nothing but a much happier Red behind.

* * *

Red smiles up at the sky above him, the clouds have completely rolled away, allowing him to bask in the warmth of the sun light.

He looks over his left shoulder and smiles warmly at what he sees. "Hello there, who sent you up here?" He asked gently and somewhat playfully.

Sliggoo slowly moves towards him, she was on the roof as well, trying to hide from him. It seems she failed to stay hidden. A look of fear is present on her face.

" _H-H-Hello…."_ She nervously said, due to the fact that this man is a stranger to her. But Serena trusts him, so she will try to get to know him.

He continues to smile at her; he turns around on the spot and extends his hand out to her. "Don't be scared, I won't hurt you"

She continues to move closer to him, she cautiously sniffs his hand. To her surprise, she can smell something strange on him…. But she's not sure what it is though.

" _Why do you smell weird?"_ The childish question makes Red smile even wider.

He gently strokes her head between her antennas. "First of all, will you tell me your name?"

She smiles up at him. _"I'm called Sliggoo"_ She feels guilty about talking with a stranger, Serena's always told her never to talk to strangers.

Sensing she's not entirely comfortable talking with him, he decides to put her at ease. "That's a pretty name… My name's Red. Feel better now? We aren't strangers anymore"

She giggles a little bit, and feels better about talking with him. _"Yeah, now we're friends"_

She moves closer to him and starts rubbing her head against his side. He gently strokes her back affectionately. "I smell weird? Well that's just what my home smells like…. It's very different to this place"

Sliggoo's mind wanders to thoughts of places outside of her home… She's only ever been to Lumiose city, and she was born here… So she doesn't really know what the rest of the worlds like. _"Is it pretty?"_

His thoughts return to his home…. Watching the sun rise over the trees, making them shine silver… The sight of the Water Pokémon bursting out of the lakes, making them sparkle in the light… It's incredibly beautiful.

He smiles down her adorable face, the look of innocence in her eyes, the sweetness radiating from her makes his cold beating rock that he calls a heart crack and melt.

"Yes….. Yes my home is beautiful… But, I think you're even more beautiful" He said sweetly.

She blushes lightly from the compliment and beams up at him. _"Thank you….. Red, who was that pink lady?"_

He gently hums as he strokes her side. "Her name is Mew; she's _my_ teacher and trainer…. She takes care of all the Pokémon back at my home… She's a mother to them"

She tilts her head to her side curiously. _"Is she your Mama?"_

He chuckles lightly. "No little one…. My Mama lives in….. I'm not even sure, but Lily lives there too… I think you know her, don't you?"

She nods her head. _"Yeah, I love playing with Lily. She's fun"_

Red smiles broader than before, if a young Pokémon likes her, then she must still be kind to Pokémon…. He begins to wonder how she's changed over the years…. He knows just how much he's changed….. Before he left, he didn't want to hurt anyone…. Nor did he ever picture himself with such responsibility, that now weighs on his shoulders.

But, if someone offered to take it away from him…. He'd refuse, he wouldn't give up his job lightly.

"I'm glad….. Sliggoo, can I ask you a question please?" He asked gently.

She nods her head. His hand slides down her back, and under her shell like hump. He pulls out a small microphone from the crease in her skin, and holds it in front of her.

"Who put this on you?"

" _Alex asked me to go see what you were doing…. He said he was worried that you'd get hurt"_ Sliggoo's innocence blinded her to Alex's true intentions…. But not Red.

He stares down at the microphone in his fingers, with a stern look. "Did he now…"

* * *

Inside the house, Alex is sitting in the living room, holding a radio like device in his hands. His face is host to a look of irritation; so far his plan had yielded no information about Red that he can use.

Grace is also in the room, but she's been cleaning up the remains of her table. She's just finished removing the rubble, and is now sweeping up the dust and splintered wood.

"Alex, I still don't like you using Sliggoo like this… First of all, it's a horrible thing to do….. Secondly, have you given _any_ thought on how Serena's goanna react when she realises what you've done?" Her tone is serious, she's clearly angry with Alex.

Alex ignores his wife's complaints, and continues to listen to Red and Sliggoo.

" _Yes….. Yes my home is beautiful… But, I think you're even more beautiful"_ Red said through the radio.

Alex smirks broadly. "See? See?" He almost shouted at Grace.

Grace gives him an irritated glare. "See what? He's being kind to her… What's so bad about that?"

Alex opens his mouth to speak, but then shuts it again, unable to think of anything to say.

Serena pokes her head in from the dining room, she has a look of solemn on her face. "Dad…. Did you _have_ to shoot at Charizard? The kitchen has enough holes in it already…. Mom can't keep patching them up, eventually all of the walls will be nothing but patches"

Neither Grace nor Alex respond to her, she notices that Grace looks very angry, and that Alex is holding a radio. "What's going on here?"

" _Her name is Mew; she's my teacher and trainer…. She takes care of all the Pokémon back at my home… She's a mother to them"_ Red's voice came through the radio again.

Alex winces sharply, and looks over at Serena. Grace stops cleaning the mess, and glares at Alex.

Serena looks at the radio with confusion. "What the? Why is Red….?" As she begins to ask her question, she finds the answer she seeks.

Rage washes over her face. She snarls angrily at her father and walks into the room properly. "Dad… Are you spying on my friend?"

Alex's eyes dart from side to side in an attempt to think of a good excuse. "Ugh…. Um…"

"Don't you mean _boyfriend_ Serena?" Shauna said.

All eyes turn toward the open window, Shauna is out in the garden, but is leaning on the window frame poking her head into the house with a big grin on her face.

Serena doesn't blush, she's too angry. "Not funny Shauna. Dad's spying on him"

Shauna rolls her eyes. "Off course he is, he spy's on every guy who comes here… What do you think the cameras are for?"

" _No little one…. My Mama lives in….. I'm not even sure, but Lily lives there too… I think you know her, don't you?"_ Red's voice came through the radio again.

Serena freezes solid, as does Alex. She angrily growls at him, bearing her teeth and clenching her fists. "Dad….. Who's he talking to?"

Alex begins sweating profusely; he tries to hide the radio from sight. "Ugh…. I don't know what you're talking about"

He doesn't fool Serena in the slightest. She angrily stops towards him, and pulls the radio from his grasp. She analyses it for a moment, and then throws her father an angry glare. "Dad….. What have you done?"

Alex sweats harder and sinks into his chair a bit. "I… I might….. Might have planted a microphone on Fletchling and sent him….. To spy on Red"

Serena instantly knows he's lying, she narrows her eyes and continues to glare at him angrily. "Really? Then why is he in the kitchen, playing in the new hole?"

Alex's eyes shrink in fear. As bad a temper he has…. Serena's is _far_ worse. If she finds out that he tricked Sliggoo into spying on Red for him…. It doesn't bare thinking about.

" _I'm glad….. Sliggoo, can I ask you a question please?"_

Serena's attention diverts to the radio, Alex listens in carefully, this might be just what he needs to prove Red's not who Serena thinks he is.

Grace stares angrily at Alex, but also listens in to the radio. Shauna smirks broadly, this is better than her soap operas.

Sounds of movement rustles through the radio, it sounds like someone's dropped a microphone. Alex's eyes shrink even further, he sinks into his chair out of fear.

" _Who put this on you?"_

The blood drains from his face… He's been busted. "Shit" He said weakly.

Serena's hands shake slightly out of anger, as realisation washes over her. She slowly lifts her head up to glare at her father, if she maintains this pressure on the radio it's goanna break.

"Dad….. Where is Sliggoo?" Her voice is surprisingly calm, Alex nervously swallows and his eyes dart around, searching for anything he can use as an excuse.

" _Did he now"_

Grace smirks slyly. "You're busted Alex…. It's over. Red's found your mic. Serena, I swear I had nothing to do with this… I found out _after_ he sent her up there, by which time if I said anything, I'd alert Red….. Quite frankly, after almost killing your father, I thought it's best not to anger him"

Serena grips the radio tighter, the sound of the plastic bending is all that's hitting her ears now. She grinds her teeth and growls angrily at her father. "You put a mic on Sliggoo…. Then sent her to spy on my friend?... That's it. I don't care what you say, I'm leaving with him tomorrow… And I don't care what you say I'm goanna-" She is interrupted before she can reveal her true intensions with Red.

" _Just so you all know, I'm listening in now….. I can hear what you're saying"_

Serena nearly drops the radio in a mixture of shock and embarrassment…. She almost said that, no matter what Alex says, she's goanna sleep with Red….. And make sure he knows it… Thank god he said he's listening before she destroyed her chances with him.

Alex stares at the radio, as do Grace and Shauna. All of them are looking at it like it's a foreign object that shouldn't be able to move, but has just started to fly through the room and crap custard all over them….

"Y-You're listening to us? How?" Alex said.

" _I'm an Aura User, my senses are razor sharp. I can concentrate on them, and focus them to become even sharper… Say goodbye to…. Whatever this thing is, Sliggoo and I are coming down. Alex, you and I are going to have… Words"_ His tone is very firm.

Alex sweatdrops in fear, he's already pissed off Red… But now…. He's not just waved the red flag in the bull's face… He's wiped his ass with it and thrown it over the bulls face….. "Shit…" Was all he managed to say, but it was more of a squeak of fear.

The radio squeals in their ears. Serena shuts it off before it can deafen them all. "Well, he just killed your microphone" She said spitefully.

A soft thud in the garden gets everyone's attention. Shauna moves out of the way to allow the others to see. Red just jumped from the roof, with Sliggoo in his arms, and landed on his feet. Without so much as a scratch on him.

Charizard makes his presence known by poking his head down at Sliggoo, with a look of disapproval on his face. _"Boss…. Put her down, and come back to your senses"_ He said slowly.

Serena returns her attention to her father, she angrily throws the radio at him. He instinctively raises his arms to defend himself, the radio collides with his arms, and lands with a soft thud on his lap.

She snorts angrily at him, and then almost sprints out to the garden to see her Sliggoo again.

Alex looks shell shocked, he was expecting _way_ worse than that…. Last time she….. Well…. He still carries a reminder of it….. It wasn't pleasant.

Grace closes her eyes and turns towards the exit. "If you have the guts to face your punishment, we'll be outside"

* * *

Serena rushes out into the garden, expecting Red to be absolutely livid with her father. She's starts planning a big speech to convince him not to kill Alex for this…. Please let it be enough.

To her surprise, Red isn't acting aggressively. He's cradling Sliggoo and making funny faces down at her. She's smiling back up at him and clapping her hands. They're playing together.

Charizard doesn't share their happiness though; he's turned his back to Red and has crossed his arms. His face is host to the darkest scowl Serena's ever seen. _"Boss… When you decide to act like a man again, do let me know"_ He spat.

Red ignores him and carries on playing with Sliggoo.

Shauna notices Serena and stares at her in disbelief. "Are you seeing this too?"

Serena slowly nods her head and an enormous smile forms on her face. She walks towards Red and Sliggoo, her fear quickly melts away, in its place happiness swells.

She reaches Red and stands on his right side, she smiles down at Sliggoo. "Well you two seem to be getting along then"

Red diverts his attention from Sliggoo for a moment to smile at Serena. "Thanks"

He then turns his attention back to Sliggoo and continues to play with her. While Sliggoo feels that this is a little bit silly, she's just enjoying playing with someone new. Normally she only plays with Serena and Charla… But Charla can get a bit rough at times, and Serena can be a bit too motherly.

Serena reaches forwards and gently tickles Sliggoo. "Do you like playing with Red?"

Sliggoo smiles and nods her head. _"Yeah, he's fun"_

Red beams down at her. "Apparently I'm fun"

Charizard snorts aggressively. _"If you don't put that crawling soup mix down, I'm going to eat you"_

Red freezes in one of his funny faces. Slowly his face turns to a look of calmness. He turns to Serena. "Excuse me; I think Charizard's a little jealous"

He gently hands Sliggoo back to Serena; they both look at him with confusion. Charizard? Jealous that Red's playing with Sliggoo?

Sliggoo pouts in disappointment, she was having fun. _"Charizard's a kill joy"_

Red turns around to glare angrily at Charizard. "Turn around" He said patronisingly.

Charizard uncrosses his arms, smirks and turns to look at him. _"Don't treat me like one of your-"_

Before he has the chance to finish his sentence, Red reached forwards and grabbed his left horn. He rips it down to eye level; Charizard decides to bring his head down at the same time to avoid his horn being ripped off.

A cold sweat runs down Charizard's face and forehead….. He's gone too far this time, and he knows it. _"Oh shit…. Please have mercy"_ He growled weakly.

Both Serena and Shauna stare at Red with mixed expressions. Serena raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's Charizard done this time?" She thought.

Shauna has a hint of fear in her face. "Please don't start fighting again" She thought.

Red slowly takes a breath and then he speaks. His voice is slow, but it has a ton of steel behind it. "What did you call Sliggoo?"

Charizard's eye widens in fear, he swallows nervously. _"I can't help it…. I'm hungry and she's easy prey…. I wouldn't hurt her, but I am a carnivore"_

He shouldn't have said that…. He should not have said that.

Red tightens his grip, and sharply turns Charizard's head to his right. Charizard's neck cracks and he winces in pain slightly.

"What is the only rule I have ever set?" Red's voice is very firm, and anger resounds through it.

Charizard starts shaking in fear; he's too weak to fight back properly. _"…. Don't hurt or threaten younglings?"_

Red slowly nods his head. "Then why did you just break it? Well?"

"… _I'm hungry…"_ He weakly growled.

Red grits his teeth, and growls lowly. "Wrong answer" He growled out.

Charizard shuts his eye and whimpers slightly. _"No fair… I'm too weak and hungry to fight back"_ He whined.

Red rolls his eyes in disbelief. "Dear god… Are you even a dragon? Whimpering like a lizard… Oh you need some food, just so I can kick your ass properly"

Charizard opens his eye, and tries to smile at Red.

Red narrows his eyes and glares at him. "I know you hate kids…. But that doesn't mean I have to as well. I know you hate me spending so much time with them…. But it's part of my job and you fucking know it. What am I supposed to do with them? Just let them die? That's not my style and you know it" His voice is firm.

Charizard slowly shakes his head. _"No… You can't just let them die…. But does it have to be you who does it? Why can't someone else do it?"_

Red releases his grip on Charizard, who straightens out his head and clings to his aching neck. Red crosses his arms and scowls at the dragon. "Because I _like_ doing it. What? I have duties outside of training with you and Blade…. There are others who depend on me. You of all people should know that"

Charizard looks at Red with a raised eyebrow. _"There are others who depend on you? I had no idea…. Well that explains all those little things that keep biting me, and screaming FEED ME!"_ He said sarcastically.

Red facepalms at Charizard childishness. "You can't talk you know, you're always going 'feed me Boss'… Never. Ever. Think of younglings as food, or I will make it so Charla _can't_ become your mate…. Do I make myself clear?"

Charizard looks confused for a moment. Then his face fills with horror. _"You wouldn't dare"_

Red narrows his eyes and clenches his fists. "Care to rephrase that?"

Charizard nods his head furiously. _"I'm sorry Boss…. I'll be nice to her"_

Red smirks. "Good… You don't need to get along with her, just be nice. That's what Blade does isn't it?"

He turns to face Serena before Charizard has the chance to answer. "I suppose I should explain this, right?"

Serena looks completely and utterly confused. "Yeah… If it's not _too_ much trouble"

"And just what would you explain?" Grace said sharply.

They all turn their attention to the door; both Grace and Alex are standing there. Alex looks very sheepish, while Grace looks angry, she has her arms crossed. "I repeat. Explain what?"

Red pockets his hands and scowls at Alex. "First, Alex… When you want to know something about me, just ask. I won't kill _you_ for pissing me off, but I won't hesitate if you deliberately cause harm to a child. Charizard is testament to that"

Charizard covers his eye as well as his blind eye with his claws. _"Please don't tell them about that…. Haven't I been humiliated enough today?"_ He whined.

Serena mimics Red's scowl at her father, and pulls Sliggoo in tighter. "Never. Use. Sliggoo. Like. That. Again…. If you do, I will never speak to you again"

Grace looks out of the corner of her eye at Alex, he's shaking slightly out of fear. "Sorry Serena…. But Red, why do you even care?"

Charizard snorts out smoke again. _"Because he's got a soft spot for kids…. No one hurts a kid while he's around…. Well, no one does and lives to tell the tale"_

Grace turns her head to scowl at Alex, she gestures for him to move towards the others. "Apologise to Sliggoo. Now" She growled.

Alex slumps his way past his normally calm and kind wife, and walks towards Serena and Sliggoo. He reaches them, and looks down at Sliggoo… Regret washes over him. "I'm sorry Sliggoo… I shouldn't have done that to you"

Before anyone can say anything about his apology, Red's right fist slams into his left cheek.

He stumbles to his right, clutching his mouth. He spits out a mouthful of blood and a tooth onto the floor.

"That was for using Sliggoo like a tool…. Never do that again, or I will kill you" Red spat as he returned his hand to his pocket.

Serena and the others are surprised by the sudden surge of protection coming from Red; none of them expected him to attack Alex over the use of a Pokémon that isn't even his.

Serena stares at him with a slightly shocked expression on her face. "Well… I wasn't expecting that"

Alex quickly recovers from the blow; he straightens up and looks at Red. "I deserved that. Red, would you mind answering some questions for me?"

Red is taken aback by the lack of aggression. He was expecting to be issued with a death threat, or threatened to be subjected to a severe and humiliating punishment.

"Ugh… Sure, I've got little to hide"

Both Grace and Shauna move in closer so they can actual hear what's being said. Unlike Red, they don't have superhuman senses.

Alex takes a deep calming breath; he's dreading the answer to this question. "Why are you trying to take my daughter away from me?"

The sudden surge of honesty surprises them all; Red certainly wasn't expecting a question like that. Serena blushes lightly.

Grace sighs, today seems to be full of strange surprises.

Red raises an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

"You heard me… Why are you trying to take Serena away from me? She's my baby girl… You've just swooped in after being gone for ten years, and now you're taking her away…. Why?"

Red turns to Serena, she looks back at him. She's just as confused as he is. He returns his attention back to Alex. "Ugh….. I'm not trying to take her away… I'm trying to keep her alive. Eis is after me yes, but now that he knows about her power. He's coming for her too"

Alex never believed Red when he said Eis was coming for Serena, he believes he's a real person, but he never believed he was coming for his daughter. Now though, he has doubts.

He stares into Red's eyes, watching for any signs of deceit. "Tell me that you're telling the truth" His voice echo's his fear.

Red stares back at Alex; he maintains eye contact with him. "I'm telling you the truth"

Alex's eyes widen in disbelief, his entire body is wracked in fear. He starts to shake, fear has him completely paralysed him…. Red's telling the truth.

"S-S-S-S-So… You didn't use him as an excuse to be alone with Serena?"

Serena blushes deeply and tries to hide it from Red. Red looks completely dumbstruck.

"No. I didn't. Is that why you've been treating me like crap? You think that I said he's coming for her, so I could be alone with her?... (Sighs)… Sweet crap what kind of guy do you think I am? I'm a man of honour… I didn't come here to mate with Serena tonight, I came back to keep a promise"

They all blush deeply at his choice of words…. Except Sliggoo and Charizard, to them that's the normal terminology.

Charizard snickers. _"Yeah not tonight, but tomorrow she's fair game… Hehehehehe"_

Red suppresses a blush. "(I'll remember that for when Charla comes back, you psychotic bastard)"

" _Better than being a sex maniac dragon like her"_

Alex forces himself to calm down; he won't be humiliated like this. "Well… Yes, you could say that's what bothering me…. I know she's a beautiful girl, you probably haven't seen a woman for years… You're a guy…. I know where our brains live"

Serena looks out of the corner of her eye at Red, desperately analysing him to gauge his reactions.

Red raises an eyebrow. "Really? You think I'm a matting machine? Sweet merciful crap…. And by the way, Serena's not the first woman I've seen for ten years…. I've seen countless"

A stab of jealousy hits Serena's gut. "Other women? (Huff)" She thought.

"Well I'm not. If I was that kind of guy, then I'd be staring at her tits more, wouldn't I? Serena have I done that since I came back?"

Serena blushes deeply; she has noticed him sneaking the occasional glance…. And when she modelled her clothes for him, his eyes nearly popped out of his head… "I wish you'd do more than look" She thought.

She knows that if her dad knows that, then he'd cut off Red's dick. "If he does that, then how will I have my fun with him?" She thought.

After a moment of thought, she snaps back into reality. "Ugh… No. Well not that I've seen"

Shauna cracks a faint smile. "Liar… You two haven't stopped ogling each other and you know it" She thought.

Red crosses his arms. "Thank god she didn't notice" He thought.

"There, happy now? I do have _some_ self-control you know…. Unlike Lily. Anyway, if it was my intention to mate with Serena tonight, then I'd club her over the head and carry her over to a bush and have at it"

Serena blushes deeper and suppresses a squeal of joy. Alex snarls at Red. "You'd do what to my daughter?!" He growled.

Grace recognises Red's statement as a poor attempt at humour. "Alex… He was joking"

"He was?" Alex said with doubt.

Grace rolls her eyes. "Yes he was…. Weren't you?"

Red rolls his eyes. "Off course I was. I'm not the kind of guy to mate in a bush, it's not that comfy. If I wanted to mate with her tonight, then I'd probably try something like Charla's been doing…. A mating display"

Serena bolts her head around and stares at him with a look of disappointment…. She _likes_ the idea of him dragging her away, but she would have changed it to the bedroom rather than a bush.

Alex chuckles lightly. "Now I know that was a joke"

Red raises an eyebrow again. "No that time I was serious… Charla's putting on a display of her determination and strength to Charizard. She's trying to show him that she's strong enough for him…. Although I'll admit she's doing a terrible job at it….. I'd do a better job though"

Charizard growls at Red slightly. _"Did they HAVE to know that's what she's doing? It's humiliating enough….. And how the hell would you do a mating display? You've never even ki-"_

Red turns around and points at Charizard sternly. "Say one more word and I tell everyone how you lost your eye!" He growled.

Charizard freezes solid; he gives Red an icy stare. _"NNNNOOOOOO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!"_

Red lowers his hand. "Well don't say another word… It's humiliating" He turns around and faces the others. "Just ignore him…. Oh wait, you can't understand him"

Serena laughs sarcastically. "Red, there's no way in hell that you're _ever_ going to do a 'mating display' to me…. There's better ways of getting a girlfriend. Lily's goanna have to teach you how to do it right. No matting displays ever. You understand me?"

Serena's less than subtle hint to Red goes unnoticed by him… But the others get it.

Alex blushes deeply and starts sweating nervously. "Dear god let him be _extremely_ dense… You'd have to be not to realise what she's doing" He thought.

Grace covers her mouth and blushes lightly, Shauna smirks broadly. "Get in there girl" She thought.

Red looks confused. "If humans don't do mating displays, then what do we do?"

Alex decides to change the subject. "Well then, it seems that fear of mine is unfounded…. You're not trying to (Clears throat) _mate_ with my daughter then"

Charizard grins. _"Not tonight, he'll get her tomorrow… But if you try anything while you're on my back, I swear I WILL throw you both off"_

Red ignores Charizard's comment. "Right, that's sorted. You said you had other questions?"

Alex nods his head. "Yeah… Why did you care so much about me doing that to Sliggoo? She's not your Pokémon, is it because she's Serena's?"

Red raises an eyebrow, as if the answer should be obvious. "Crap, how do I explain this?"

Charizard rolls his eye and crosses his arms. _"Here we go…."_

"Well, to explain properly… I need to tell you a bit more about what I do back home" Red said.

Charizard facepalms and slowly shakes his head. _"Why did you get him started on this again?"_

Red ignores Charizard, and begins his explanation. "First of all, back home the weather is beginning to warm. So all the eggs that have been laid during the course of the year are beginning to hatch…. Soon, my home's goanna be swarming with teeny tiny-"

" _Screaming shit machines from hell"_ Charizard interrupted.

Red scowls at him and sighs. "Thank you Charizard" He said sarcastically. "Soon, there's goanna be more babies than I can count back home"

Grace, Shauna and Serena's eyes widen and sparkle in excitement. The thought of baby Pokémon being born makes them all simultaneously go awwww.

Alex has a less emotional response. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "What does that have to do with my question?"

Red scowls at him. "I'm getting there, but my answer won't make sense unless you know this as well"

Alex shrugs his shoulders impatiently. "Get on with it then"

Red clears his throat, and then continues. "While it's a fantastic time of year…. It's also a time of sadness…. Some of the babies are orphaned before they even open their eyes and take their first breaths. There are also some who lose their parents soon after their born…. Some of the babies, are born into a cruel world completely alone"

Serena, Shauna and Grace all frown in sadness, the thought of babies being alone is breaking their hearts. Sliggoo's looking around innocently; she doesn't really understand what's going on.

"All those babies are completely defenceless….. They're easy prey for a hungry predator" Red gives Charizard an evil glare.

Charizard gets defensive, he stares back at Red. _"IT WASN'T ME, I SWEAR! I didn't eat them….. Just thought they looked tasty"_

Red crosses his arms. "Yeah I know, but you still think of them as food"

Charizard shakes his head. _"No. They're lunch on legs…. That cries, shits and bites back…. Big difference"_

Red shakes his head and turns back to the others. "When I first arrived at my home, I saw this… I saw baby Pokémon alone and crying out for their parents to help them… Despite Charizard's protests that this was nature's way, I intervened"

Alex's curiosity is building, a question pops into his head, and escapes his lips before he has the chance to think properly. "What do you mean 'you intervened'?"

"We found a…. Rather spirited baby. She was growling at a predator, she didn't even have any teeth, and she was barely a week old… But she had so much spirit, that she bravely growled at him…. Despite the fact he was ten times her size… And it wasn't really a growl, but a series of threatening squeaks"

Charizard cracks a smile, as he remembers that moment fondly. _"OK then… I admit it, even though she was trying to be threatening…. She was just adorable"_

"Before the predator could…. Well eat her. We intervened; both Charmander and Blade helped me fight him off… The baby wasn't exactly grateful though" Red said while smiling.

Charizard chuckles lightly. _"No, she was pissed"_

Serena beams at Red, the thought of him bravely defending an innocent baby send shivers down her spine. "What did she do?"

"She…. _Earned_ her name…. We decided to call her Nibbler, because she tried to eat me" Red said with a broad smile.

"Awwwww" Serena, Shauna and Grace all cooed.

Alex raises an eyebrow. "What? But I thought you said she didn't have any teeth?"

Red chuckles again. "Yeah, but that didn't stop her…. She tried to gum me to death instead"

Charizard chuckles once again. _"She never outgrew that habit, did she Boss?... She still loves to chew on your head"_

"No she didn't… Back then she was a delicate… Defenceless…. Innocent… Baby Noibat, now she's almost a fully grown Noivern. But no matter how big she gets, she'll always be Nibbler to us"

Serena's eyes light up, clearly Red loves babies…. Maybe he'll want kids of his own someday…. "Oh what am I thinking, I need to get him before I start thinking about that" She thought.

"So you raised her then? Oh that's so adorable" Grace said sweetly.

"Well not just me, Blade helped a lot too…. Charizard didn't really help look after her, but he played with her a lot" Red said, as he did Charizard froze solid.

" _Please tell me Charla didn't hear that"_ He thought. Luckily for him, Charla is still searching for him; she's not in the garden. He releases a breath of relief.

Alex has a feeling about where Red's going with this. "Wait, let me guess…. You didn't stop with Nibbler, did you? You kept rescuing orphaned baby Pokémon… Didn't you?"

Red looks embarrassed, and scratches the back of his head. "Well… I wouldn't say rescued, but yeah… I carried on taking in orphaned Pokémon, and I took care of them. Well, not just me… There are lots of us who do it"

Serena's eyes light up. "So you take care of lots of babies? Awwww…. I wanna see them"

Shauna looks slightly confused. "So there are other humans there besides you? You never mentioned that"

"Nope, just me. I meant other Pokémon. Blade helps out as much as he can, but he mostly does things like gathering food or teaching them to take care of themselves…. Charizard has nothing to do with them, to him babies are nothing but screaming shit machines from hell"

" _What's to like? All they do is eat, cry, shit and bite….. Mostly cry"_ Charizard growled back.

"So what do _you_ actually do for them?" Serena eagerly asked.

"I do a lot of stuff… I feed them, clean them, play with them…. Keep them from killing each other sometimes…. I love them, and help them grow into strong adults"

Serena's heart skips a beat; Red's basically a dad to them…. "Oohhhh I want to see them more now"

"So what do you do when they grow up?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, it's got to be hard to let them go" Shauna said.

Red smiles at them all. "Not really, they don't generally leave home and venture out… They stay in the forest, but live their own lives. There are some who ask to stay with us, they help me raise more babies. That's what Nibbler does, at least until she's old enough to have a mate of her own… She's desperate to be a mother"

"So you're basically a foster parent to them then?" Grace asked.

Red's smile drops from his face and is replaced with a look of horror. "No. No. Dear god no. I'm no parent; I just take care of them"

Serena smiles slyly at him. "That's basically what a parent does Red, they take care of their children and love them…. That's what you do"

Red shakes his head. "No, that's not how it works for Pokémon. They latch onto the first living things they see, and forge a parental bond with them… They will never see anything else as their parents. I don't see them as _my_ babies either, they're my friends… And some of them are like siblings to me…. Don't get me wrong I love them all, but not like that…. Like you love a friend or sibling. Not like you love your child, it's totally different"

Charizard nods in agreement. _"To some though, you're just a chew toy"_

Red smile returns to his face. "Yeah I know. When their teething, they like to chew on me… Charizard says I'm just a chew toy to them….. So Alex, there's your answer. You using Sliggoo like that bothered me so much, because I'm super protective of baby Pokémon…. Kinda comes with the job of looking after them"

Charizard laughs. _"Forget teething, they just chew on you"_

Red scratches his head lightly. "Well enough about that… Any more questions?"

Alex shakes his head. "Nope… Well, nothing that Serena will let me ask anyway"

Serena blushes, her eyes dart from side to side. "Ehh… Shauna, Red time for shopping!"

 **Time skip: 6 hours**

Red allowed Charizard to stay out of his Pokéball…. Well, not really allowed, more like forced. He said he didn't want to deprive Charla of her big strong Charizard… Charizard wasn't happy about that. He swore to make Red pay for his betrayal.

Serena and Shauna dragged Red through a rather large mall for the size of the town, Red didn't remember what shopping was…. But he quickly remembered.

He tried everything he possibly could to get out of it, but they wouldn't let him. They dragged him through countless shops, while they tried on clothes, gossiped, tried makeup and a lot of other things that no normal or sane man likes…. But it wasn't all bad, at least that's what they told him, he did get to carry all of their bags after all….. Yeah it was far worse.

After they were finally satisfied that they had emptied the mall of all the good bargains they could find, they decided to get something to eat.

Red's table manners were never good…. But now they're non-existent. He didn't know how to use cutlery, nor did he even try. He just ate with his bare hands, burped loudly…. And growled at anyone who came near his food.

Shauna was grossed out by his eating habits, but Serena thought they were cute.

After that, Serena decided that it was time for her to get her _protection_ sorted out. She gave Red a break, and let him sit down on a bench. She didn't get the chance to ask Shauna to leave… Shauna knew where she was going, and what she was getting.

Rather than tease her, or threaten to tell Red, Shauna agreed with her 100% she even helped her figure it all out, and get it sorted. She promised not to tell Red or anyone else for that matter, much to Serena's great relief.

When they went back to Red, they found him in a growling contest with a trainer's Growlithe. There were lots of people, just staring at him. Serena didn't let this go on for long though, she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him and the bags out.

After that, Serena and Shauna decided that it might be better if they got Red out of there. He was so overjoyed that he jumped up and screamed. "HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH!"

Amongst the things that the girls bought, was a new outfit for Red. He agreed to change into it in the morning, as he didn't want to risk damaging them when he eventually feeds Charizard.

This was simply his excuse; he just didn't feel like trying on clothes again…. He'd already been forced to do it more times than he can count… It doesn't help that he can't count past his total number of fingers and toes though.

Once they got back, before they even opened the door, Red facepalmed. Charizard was once again rummaging through the house searching for food…. And when he couldn't find any, he tried to eat Fletchling.

Without his gun, Alex couldn't shoot him… But he did threaten to cut off a certain sensitive part of his anatomy off with a rusty meat cleaver. Charizard's reply was to bring it on.

Before Red had the chance to stop him, Charla returned. She started crying and saying that she couldn't find her beloved Charizard, until she saw him in the kitchen anyway… Then she once again began her poor attempt at a mating display.

Charizard screamed in fear, and started screaming for Red to save him. _"BOSS! HELP ME! DO YOUR FUCKING JOB! PROTECT ME FROM THE SEX MANIAC DRAGON!"_

Red finally snapped, he carefully put the bags down and took a calming breath. He then told Charizard they're going hunting. Charizard tried to escape Charla through the living room window…. He once again got stuck. He was flailing around for a while.

Shauna thought it was so funny, that she recorded it on her Holocaster. Charizard didn't know what she was doing, but he issued her with death threats regardless.

Serena told her to post it on Pokébook **(A/N Basically Facebook for Pokémon)**.

Shauna found that Lily's been raving on the site, she's been posting things like "MY FUCKING BROTHER'S HOME!"

Lily quickly found the video, and replied saying. "Is that fat assed dragon really Charmander? My god he's gotten fat"

Red was eventually able to pull him out of the window…. It then occurred to him to simply return him to his Pokéball…. Eh, his way was more fun.

Charla tried to go with Charizard, to show that she could keep him fed…. Charizard near enough jumped onto Red and clung to him for dear life. Serena put a stop to it though, saying that she'd have a better chance when he was too full and tired to fight back.

The others stayed behind, and cleaned up Charizard's mess… He tore the kitchen apart in his search for food, and his attempts to eat Fletchling.

Red, Charizard and Blade spent the next few hours hunting and foraging in the forest for food. Red had already eaten, so he was fine… For a little while.

Blade gathered his own food; he doesn't like relying on others to get him food. But he still happily helped Red get food for Charizard, who's too stupid to get the art of hunting right.

Blade returned to his Pokéball before they returned to the house, as did Charizard…. He was so full he couldn't keep his eyes open, and he knew Charla would try to take advantage of him.

Red made his way back to the house, and immediately felt something he had almost forgotten about…. He felt the presence of Eis.

Now he is standing in the garden, as are the others, watching the area around them change.

* * *

The air has a chill running through it, the grass on the ground is stiffening out and frost is slowly forming on it. The sun's light is slowly being blocked out, the clouds are returning to the sky.

Red is staring up at the sky, his hands clenched into fists and his face filled with a sense of calm. Like the clam before a storm.

Serena and Shauna are standing wither side of him, both of them are freezing cold, and are rubbing their arms in an attempt to warm up.

Alex is standing beside Serena, and Grace is beside him. Like Red, Alex can sense their being watched.

"Red… Why has the air turned cold? And why is frost forming on the ground?" Serena asked, unsure why she thought Red would know the answers to her questions.

Red doesn't avert his gaze from the sky. "He's coming…. He's using his Pokémon to make this area more to his tastes….. And to make me uncomfortable…. He likes things cold" His voice is cold and emotionless. "I am hot… I am the same as Charizard, the embodiment of fire…. The cold saps my strength, and he knows it"

Serena's thoughts once again turn to her more…. Intimate matters. "My god you _are_ hot Red… I want you to make me a woman" Her mind snaps back to the impending danger.

They all shuffle nervously, except Red, he's perfectly calm. "For your own safety, get inside the house now…. I don't know when he's going to attack, but it could be at any point now"

A lightbulb lights up above Shauna's head, as an idea swells inside her. "Hey, you said you felt Lily's Aura before right?"

Red nods his head; he knows where she's going with this. "No, I can't feel his Aura and track him down…. His mark does more than remind me that he's hunting me; it prevents me from feeling his Aura…. He can feel mine, but I can't feel his… He likes to play mind games, and he can't do that if I know where he is"

Shauna lowers her head in shame. "Sorry…. I thought it might make things easier for you that's all"

"Don't apologise. You didn't know, and you were only trying to help me… The best thing you can all do is go inside and act normally… I'll deal with this bastard myself" Red's voice remains cold and emotionless.

Shauna nods her head. "Don't need to tell me twice, I'm not coming out until the sun comes out. He doesn't like the sun light right?"

Red slowly nods his head. "He hates the sun, he's nocturnal"

Shauna nervously nods, and retreats into the house. Grace turns to Red. "I guess Shauna's staying the night… Thank you Red, when he comes, should we call the police?"

Red slowly shakes his head. "No. They'd just be killed needlessly…. I don't need any help; I've dealt with him before…. I know how his sick mind works"

Grace takes a breath, and slowly exhales. She desperately clings to Alex for support. He wraps his arm around her to comfort her. "Red"

Red turns to looks at him, he doesn't like Alex and he never will. "Yes"

Alex doesn't like Red either, as far as he's concerned Red will always be a threat to Serena. He has a dick and balls; therefore he is a threat to her purity.

"If you hadn't of broken my gun, then I could have helped you with this" He said bitterly.

Red crosses his arms, and scowls at him. "A gun wouldn't have done you any good anyway… He can use powers similar to mine, so if a gun is useless against me, what good would it do against him?"

Alex doesn't respond to him, but he continues to glare at him.

"I understand your desire to protect your home and your family. But it's better to just let me do it this time… He's here for me, not you. I don't doubt that he'll go for Serena if he gets the chance…" He presses his right hand into his chest. "I'll take the blows this time; I'll protect them for you…. Please, let me make amends for my mistake"

Alex looks down at the ground, and watches the grass slowly turn white and crystals form on it.

"Fine. I suppose you do know him, and if I'm right, he owes you blood" Alex said through gritted teeth.

Serena takes a deep breath, her lungs fill with icy cold air. "Red… I don't know if I can leave you to face this…. Thing alone"

Red turns to face her. "Serena…. You must. If you come out when he's here, then he'll either kill you on the spot… Or worse, use you as a shield. Either way I'll be unable to protect you…. Please Serena, just stay inside" His voice turned surprisingly soft and gentle.

She's not convinced. "Red… Are you going to kill him?"

Red closes his eyes. "I'm certainly going to try, but I don't know if I'm strong enough… He's always managed to escape me before"

"Well how do you plan on removing his body?" Alex said bitterly. "We can't call the police, how would we explain it?"

Red opens his eyes again. "I'll feed it to Charizard; he _loves_ the taste of human flesh… And after what Eis did to him, I'm sure he wants to rip his liver out"

Serena was afraid of this; Red's darker side is being drawn out by his anger and hatred. "Well Red… I don't think Charizard will be able to eat a whole person at once… It might take him a while; in the meantime there'll be a body in the garden"

Red scoffs. "He's done it before, several times. You'd be surprised how much he can eat" He turns around to face her directly. "Please Serena… Promise me that you won't come out until he's either gone or dead"

Serena gazes deeply into his eyes; she can see that he's terrified. "I…. I don't know if I can"

Red acts on pure instinct, he takes her hands in his own. A light blush dusts both of their faces, but neither of them notices, they're both so enthralled by each other's eyes.

"Serena…. You must. If you don't, then you'll just be killed. Please… Do this for me"

Tears well up in her eyes, but she forces herself to nod. "OK then…. But don't you dare die"

Grace turns away from the teens; she's worried that they've forgotten they're here too.

Alex is struggling not to be blinded by rage, if Red wasn't trying to keep Serena safe, he'd rip the two apart and lock Serena away in her room where he can't get to her.

Before the teens can say another word, a flash of white light bursts forth from Red's pocket and crashes into the frost covered ground beside him. The light quickly takes physical form and fades, revealing Blade.

* * *

Blade has a red metal like exoskeleton; his head has three points protruding from the top of it. His eyes are a piercing yellow; they seem to burrow their way into your head.

His body is divided into three sections, his head, his torso and his abdomen. Both his torso and abdomen have black strikes across them.

He has a small set of wings that are thin and bug like. They don't look strong enough to allow him to fly, so they must be used for something else. Perhaps they are a redundant part of his body.

He has a set of thin twig like legs, he doesn't have any toes to speak of, but he does have two white points on each foot, one at the front and one at the back.

He has what look like armouring on his shoulders; his arms are protruding from them. They are both thin and wirery; his most notable feature is his large pincers, at the ends of his arms.

His pincers are very strong; they also have an eye like pattern on their sides. The outer layer of them is black, the centre is yellow.

Blade is a Scizor, a strong Bug and Steel type Pokémon. He seems to be very disciplined, and looks ready for a fight.

* * *

All eyes shift to face him, Red and Serena immediately release each other's hands, and blush brighter.

Blade crosses his arms and glares at Red sharply. _"Master, show some self-control. You aren't being vigilant enough, Serena is distracting you from your duties"_ He said sharply.

They stare at Blade in shock; none of them has ever seen an actual Scizor before. They've seen them in magazines and on TV, but never in the flesh before.

Red turns to face him properly. "Blade, my senses are focused. I can't hear him, nor can I smell him…. He's not in the area"

Serena turns to Red in shock. "I can't believe it Red… You caught a Scizor? Those are so rare…. I've never seen one before"

Blade's eyes dart towards Serena. _"Mistress Serena, I understand you're curious, but we have a foe to face…. We'll explain later"_

Serena turns towards him, and tilts her head curiously. "Red, what did he say?"

Red sighs. "He says that we have to get ready to face Eis… We'll answer your questions later"

Serena sighs, and lowers her head. "Sorry Blade"

Blade closes his eyes and lowers his head too. _"Master, tell her that there is no need to apologise. I am simply trying to prepare for the danger that is making its way to her home"_

Red translates for the others.

Alex finds his voice. "Blade was it?"

Blade nods his head in response.

"I'd love the chance to test your skills in battle, I'm sure we could use Scizors in the National Guard"

Blade shakes his head. _"No. I will not be subjected to your tests"_

Before Red has the chance to translate for him, a strong icy wind hits them all.

Red and Blade's eyes rip open, they both scan their surroundings carefully. The rest of them chatter their teeth in the cold, Serena rubs her arms in a desperate attempt to warm herself.

Red takes a step forwards and takes a deep breath. " **EIS! COME OUT AND FACE ME YOU COWARD!** " He roared at the top of his lungs.

The wind is quickly turning into a powerful blizzard, Red doesn't move in the slightest. The others huddle together for warmth, except Blade he moves towards Red's side.

Red snarls deeply. " **THROW ALL THE COLD YOU WANT AT ME! IF YOU WANT MY HEAD! THEN COME HERE AND TAKE IT FROM MY COLD DEAD BODY!** " He screamed into the wind.

He turns to look at the others. " **GET INSIDE NOW! BEFORE HE GETS HERE! GO NOW!** "

Grace and Alex turn towards the house, Alex reaches out for Serena. "SERENA! WE NEED TO GET INSIDE NOW!" He shouted so she could hear him.

She stares at her love with fear in her eyes; she doesn't want to leave him… But knows she promised to. She doesn't know what to do…

Red resolves her conflict for her. " **SERENA! PLEASE GO NOW! I CAN'T FIGHT HIM IF YOU'RE IN DANGER! PLEASE!** "

She shuts her eyes, a couple of tears fall from her eyes. She turns around and runs towards her parents. "RED! KICK HIS ASS!" She screamed.

The three of them run into the house, and slam the door shut behind them.

Red and Blade refocus their attention on the blizzard crashing into them. They're beginning to _really_ feel the cold; Blade isn't as badly affected by it as Red. But neither of them gives an inch.

"Bring it on you sick son of a bitch… I didn't break then, and I won't break now"

" _Last time we met, I allowed my rage to blind me…. I will not make the same mistake this time"_

 **Time skip: Midnight**

The blizzard stopped shortly after the Yvonne's got to safety. Red and Blade made a strategic retreat to the roof. Red stands over Serena's room, while he's never been in there; he recognises her scent flowing from it.

Blade is standing in the centre of the roof so he can keep watch from a better position.

They haven't said a word to each other since the blizzard stopped, they've been communicating through their Connection. That way Eis won't hear them.

Inside the house, the others have tried to carry on as though nothing's happening… But it's hard, very hard, especially for Serena. How can she act like nothing's happening, when the man she loves is out there…. Waiting for a psychotic killer to attack and try to kill him?

Alex won't admit it, but he's starting to respect Red a little bit. While he still hates his guts, he respects bravery. And in all his years in the National Guard, he's never once seen someone do what Red's doing. Facing a powerful opponent, an Aura User, alone… Without any kind of aid.

Red could easily leave, and take Serena with him…. But he hasn't. He's stayed to defend them all… If that's not bravery, he doesn't know what is.

Grace and Shauna have both been scared, both for Red and them others… It's been a _very_ strange day; first Serena's lost crush returns after being gone for ten years…. Then he gets into a fight with his Charizard, he came close to killing Alex… And now he's defending them from Eis…. It's been a very weird day.

* * *

Shauna's sleeping in the guest room. Although it took her a while to be able to drift off.

Grace and Alex are in their bedroom; both of them are struggling to sleep. They're both very worried about Serena and about Red's abilities. If he's not strong enough to get rid of this guy, what'll happen to Serena?

For now they have to trust in Red, it's obvious that he cares deeply for Serena. So they doubt that he'd willingly put her in danger.

All they want is for this nightmare to be over…

* * *

Serena changed into her blue nighty a while ago; she crawled into bed and has been trying to sleep since. She hasn't been able to shut her eyes for more than a moment though, she's far too worried.

She turns her gaze from the ceiling to her window; the night sky has cleared once again. The stars are shining brightly tonight, and the moon is almost full. Its light is making the ice covered garden sparkle.

"Please Red….. Please be OK" She whispered.

* * *

Outside, the blizzard has really had a bad effect on the garden. The grass has been frozen solid; each blade of it is now a tiny frozen knife. If you run your hand across it, your hand would be cut to ribbons.

The tree has been frozen solid as well; the trunk is covered in thick frost. Each leaf is frozen as well, they're like ice sculptures. The garden looks like a beautiful work of art, especially with the moon light making each blade of grass and each leaf sparkle.

* * *

Red's expression is pure calm, if Eis is watching, then he can't show signs of weakness. His eyes are firmly focused on the moon, he doesn't know why, but he's compelled to gaze at it.

He's always been drawn to the moon, but tonight he's all but enthralled by its beauty.

Blade's eyes are open wide and unfocused. By doing so, he can see the entire garden properly. Nothing happens in it tonight without him seeing it, Eis can't sneak up on them this way…. He'll have to go around the back, just what Red wants.

" _(Master, can you hear or smell anything?)"_

Red maintains his gaze on the moon. "(No… Nothing)"

Blade crosses his arms in frustration. _"(Crap… Neither can I. The cold is affecting your senses, and in turn, mine)"_

"(It doesn't matter Blade… I don't need to know where he is, I can take him if I know he's coming or not)"

Blade nods his head. _"(I know Master. But I still don't like not being able to see him or his subordinates)"_

"(Wha? What's a subordinate?)"

Blade sighs. _"(Forget it…. I can't see him or his Pokémon… There's nothing here but us)"_

Red takes a breath and slowly releases it. _"(Off course you can't see him…. He hides in the shadows, he's probably going to strike me from behind again… That's what he usually does)"_

Before Blade can respond, they both catch a faint smell on the wind; it's the stench of death.

Red's eyes finally turn from the moon towards Blade, Blade's eyes roll towards Red. Neither of them makes the slightest of movements though, Eis cannot know they've caught his scent.

Red smirks darkly, he focuses his sense of touch. In doing so he can feel subtle movements in the air. He can feel something rushing towards him from behind, with a weapon in hand ready to strike him down.

His smirk widens his blood pumps through his entire body and he clenches his fists. "REVENGE!" He roared.

* * *

Red calls out his own weapon from his Aura. Bright red light forms in front of him, and takes the form of a sword.

A single handed broadsword, with a red blade and a black hilt. The light fades, revealing the sword in its glory. The weapon is opaque, with faint red and black flames spurting from it. Finally, a faint red glow is emanating from the sword.

 **(A/N Think of a bound weapon out of the elder scrolls five: Skyrim)**

As the sword is summoned, Red feels the person behind him raise their weapon and swing it down towards his head.

In a single fluid motion, Red snatches his sword and he swings it around his back to block the impending strike.

His sword is struck, the sound of clanging metal rings through the air.

* * *

A man is standing before Red; he's wearing a cloak as black as the night sky. He's all but completely cloaked in darkness, there is very little of him that is visible. His face is cloaked in darkness; it can't be seen at all.

Both his hands are wrapped firmly around the hilt of a long, thin silver coloured sword. It's a rapier sword, its light and is perfect for stabbing and slashing very quickly.

Neither of the man's arms can be seen, while his cloak isn't over them, he's wearing dark clothing to hide them from sight.

His hands are both being bathed in a mixture of moonlight, and the light from Red's sword. The back of his right hand has a large black skull on it; it looks like a tattoo… But it seems to be moving.

The skull is very similar to Red's mark, but it has a large spike bursting through the top of it. Along with what looks like hail steadily falling in the background.

* * *

Red's eyes narrow, they're firmly focused on where the man's eyes would be. "Eis" He spat.

Without making a sound, Eis pushes down onto Red's sword harder.

Blade stares at Eis with a deep rooted hatred, every fibre of his being is screeching "KILL HIM!" He resists this urge though. He snarls deeply, but forces his eyes to shut and crosses his arms. _"Destroy him Master"_

Red bends his knees and falls backwards. Their swords finally separate; Eis falls forwards.

As he falls, Red slams his right knee into Eis' gut, forcing him off him and up slightly. Red doesn't waste a second; he slams his free hand into Eis' chest.

Eis takes a short sharp breath in surprise; Red continues his attack before he has the chance to counterattack.

Red snarls deeply and fires a blast of Aura into Eis' chest. His Aura flows into his arm, and explodes in his hand. An explosion of red light sends Eis flying into the air; he clears the roof by a good fifteen feet.

 **(A/N The explosion isn't loud, but sounds like a firework exploding)**

Before Eis has the chance to recover, let alone counter. Red moves onto the next phase of his attack, he fires an Aura Orb up at him. The Orb collides with Eis' chest; Red controls the Orb and makes Eis fall towards the frozen garden.

* * *

In Serena's room, the young woman is still gazing out of her window. She's heard strange noises coming from the roof, her blood turns to ice. "He's here…." She whispered in fear.

Fear crushes her, each breath is a struggle. "Oh god. Oh god. Oh god" She whispered.

The sound of an explosion rings through her ears. She claws at her duvet, and pulls it up to her face. She doesn't dare make a sound; she doesn't even have enough breath to squeak in fear.

A shadowy figure falls past her window; it has a red Orb in its chest. Serena realises that Red _is_ fighting Eis…. He's really come for them both.

She pushes her fear down, and slowly pulls the duvet down herself. As she does, something else drops down past her window.

* * *

Eis crashes into the frozen earth, the frozen grass stabs into his flesh. Blood drips out onto ground, but the flow quickly stops. Red's attack knocked the wind out of him, but he's barely begun his warm up.

Red jumps to his feet, as he does he swings around on the spot. His feet clamp down on the roof; his eyes are firmly fixed on his enemy. He snarls deeply at the cloaked figure. His breathing is getting faster and faster, with each breath his snarl deepens.

A memory surges through his mind, as it does, his chest starts throbbing and his back prickles. Pain surges through his entire body, augmenting his rage. A fire sparks inside his heart; it burns brighter than Charizard's tail flame.

Red returns his sword to his Aura and then he summons a second weapon from the depths of his Aura.

A large, heavy battle axe forms before him, it's a two handed weapon. The handle is black; the shaft that holds the head is red, while the actual head is black.

It has only a single blade, the back of the head splits around the shaft; small spikes are holding the head to the shaft. Like the sword, the axe is burning with black and red flames, and emitting a red glow.

Red grabs the axe with both hands; he raises it above his head and holds the head behind his back. He leaps from the roof, his eyes firmly fixed on Eis' head.

He raises the axe above his head, and prepares to cleave Eis' head in two.

"GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared at the top of his lungs.

Eis quickly recovers from the first attack; he stabs his sword into the earth, then slams both of his hands into the ground beside him and lifts his head up sharply. He ignores the searing pain in his hands, as his blood steadily flows onto the ground.

Despite the heat from the blood, the grass remains frozen.

As he lifts his head, his hood falls back revealing his face and head. His hair is pure white and spikey, it looks like countless icicles are embedded into his skull.

His eyes are icy blue, they are cold and lifeless. His skin is almost pure white; his face is free from scars. He's wearing a dark smirk. "Hehehehehehehe"

He grabs his sword, as he does; he spots something moving through Serena's window… Red passes it, and becomes to focus of his attention.

Red swings the axe down at Eis, as he does Eis' body changes.

Eis turns his entire body, and weapon into black smoke. The axe head passes through the smoke and crashes into the earth. The earth splits apart, as the axe head ploughs through the earth.

The smoke rises and passes around Red. It begins to take Eis' form once again.

The axe is embedded into the earth deeply; most of the head is buried in the frozen earth. Before Red has the chance to remove the axe from the earth, Eis slams his right elbow across his face, sending him into the frozen earth to his right.

He faceplants into the icy knives, they slice his flesh open, and shatter upon impact.

* * *

Serena steals her courage; she puts on a brave face and forces herself to stand up. She's shaking from fear, but she won't give into it. "If Red can face that…. Animal. Then I can go to the window"

She slowly places one foot in front of the other, she gets closer and closer to the window. Each step takes more courage than the last, she's come this far, she won't stop now.

She finally reaches the window; she closes her eyes and opens it. A flush of cold wind bursts into her room, her hair stands on end and her flesh hardens. Her body freezes, she rubs her arms furiously in an attempt to warm herself.

"Come on Serena, you can do this" She takes a breath and slowly opens her eyes.

She looks down into the garden, as she does her eyes widen in horror. She gasps in shock and horror. "Red…"

Red's standing up again; his eyes are focused on the sword being pointed in his face. His left cheek has a large gash, blood is pouring out of it and down his clothes.

Eis is holding his sword in Red's face and smirking broadly. Red doesn't have a weapon in his hands, he's defenceless.

* * *

Blade uses Quick Attack to rush to the edge of the roof. He moves so fast, that all can be seen is a red blur.

He stands at the edge, with arms crossed. He scowls down at Red and Eis. _"I don't believe this…. Master, where is your weapon?"_

Eis is standing straight now; his true height can now be seen. He stands 6 foot 7 inches tall; he's not built to be physically strong despite his height. His strength lies in his Aura, and in his cunning tongue.

Eis bares his teeth in a toothy grin. "I see your senses are as sharp as ever….. _Boy_. But you're discipline is the same as ever… None existent" His voice is like icicles in your ears, sending chills through your gut.

Red scowls at Eis. He summons his sword once again; in addition he summons a second identical sword in his left hand.

He growls deeply at Eis, deep hatred resounds in his growl. "Shut up, and FIGHT ME!"

Eis leaps forwards and spins in the air. Using the momentum, he swings his sword with far greater force. The air splits with his strike.

Red sprints forwards, with his swords raised either side of him. "FIGHT ME!"

Eis slashes his sword across Red's chest, splitting Alex's shirt open and slicing Red's flesh open. Blood spurts out, soaks the silver blade.

Red grits his teeth and endures the pain, Eis spins over him. He knows this is the chance he's been waiting for.

He sticks his left foot out and embeds it into the frozen earth. He turns to face Eis; he's almost back on the ground. Red Aura Sprints towards Eis, and thrusts both his swords towards his chest.

Before his blades can pierce his chest, Eis turns into smoke once again. The blades pass through the smoke harmlessly. Red continues to sprint; he must get away from Eis before he reforms.

The smoke crashes down into the earth in front of the embedded axe, it rises and forms Eis once more.

Red turns on the spot and returns to normal. He glares at Eis angrily, he snarls deeply once more.

"Even here you hound me….. Will you ever stop hunting me?" Red spat.

Eis tilts his head in confusion. "Well, that's a surprise… I thought you were the one hunting _me_ …. If you're not here to hunt me, why are you here…. Boy?"

Red exchanges his snarl for a growl, a low growl with the weight of steel behind it. No words escape his lips, but Eis already knows.

He smirks darkly at Red, making his eyes widen in the process. "I know you Boy… Like it or not…. I know you… Who are you protecting this time? Is it the girl? The one you defend from your beloved lizard"

Red tightens his grip on his swords; his growl becomes louder and stronger than before. "I protected them all, including Charizard, from you. You tried to possess me, tried to make me your puppet…. When you failed, you took Charizard"

Eis crosses his arms; his sword is still in his hand. "Yes, I did… I tried to show you the power that flows through me…. (Sigh) But you never did appreciate my gifts"

"Your gifts? All you've ever given me is pain" Red spat.

Eis drops his arms and scowls at him. "It seems you need a reminder of who you are speaking to…. _Boy_ "

Eis sprints towards Red, swinging his sword indiscriminately.

Red hunches over and sprints towards him, his swords are pointed forward, held back and aimed towards Eis' chest.

The two rush towards each other, the gap between them is quickly closing. Before either of them can strike at the other, Eis once again turns into black smoke.

The smoke rushes past Red, and quickly reforms. With diabolical pleasure, Eis thrusts his sword through Red's back.

The blade slices through Red's flesh, cuts his ribs apart and forces its way out of Red's chest. Red freezes, his eyes widen in pain. He opens his mouth to speak, but blood flows out instead of words.

Blade closes his eyes, lowers his head and sighs. _"Master…. That was pathetic. You can take him, you know you can. Stop trying to kill him, and kill him"_

Serena squeals in fear, her hands clamp onto her mouth.

Eis thrusts his sword in deeper, the hilt hits Red's back. "I expected more from you Red… You fought harder when you were a child" He twists the sword, earning grunt of pain from Red.

Red grits his teeth and pushes himself off the blade, pain surges through his entire body, but he fights through it. Eis doesn't react, he just watches Red free himself.

Red finally breaks free, blood spurts from his wound and floods down his chest and back. He surges his Aura into his wounds, the flesh nits back together and the blood stops spurting out.

Red turns around to face his opponent. "Is that the best you can do? You did worse when you attacked me through Charizard"

Eis stares down at his crimson soaked sword. He lifts it up to his face, the moon light makes the blood stained sword sparkle.

Eis opens his mouth, extends his tongue and cleans the sword of blood with his tongue.

Red winces and looks like he's about to throw up. "That's just as disgusting as ever"

Serena suppresses the urge to vomit, but still gags at the sight.

Eis lowers his sword; Red's blood is splattered across his lips. "Delicious…."

Red covers his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're goanna make me throw up"

He hesitantly aims his swords at him. "Don't drink my blood, just fight me"

Eis licks his lips. "I'd rather do both" He stabs his sword into the earth, with a broad smirk.

Red narrows his eyes, and looks disgusted. He stabs his swords into the earth and spits at Eis. "Speak"

Eis crosses his arms and darts his eyes around his surroundings. "Your skills have certainly grown Boy… I'm surprised you could challenge me like this without transforming"

Red crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "Don't bother. You can't make me do it…. You can't make me lose control" He spat.

Eis tilts his head to the side and licks his lips. "Hehehehehehe…. Can you even control yourself when you transform? Can you even transform without waking my brother?"

Red rips his eyes open and snarls. "The Beast is not brother of yours"

Eis leans his head forward. "He serves the Master, same as I do… That makes us brothers" It wasn't a question, it simply is.

Red drops his arms and clenches his fists. " _IT_! Not he, IT!" He barked.

Eis leans his head back, and rolls his eyes. " _It_ , is my brother…. It knows the truth. We all owe the Eternal Master our loyalty and in his glorious name my kind give praise, and serve faithfully"

Red crosses his arms once again, and scowls at Eis. "(Humpf) He's no more a god, than Charizard is… And he's just a fat ass dragon"

Eis grits his teeth. "Blasphemy… But I'll let it go this time. Hehehehehehehehehe… Do you want to know the secret to the Beast? I know what it is, and how it came to be…. I could tell you"

That got Red's attention, his eyes fill with indecision. "You know? You know what it is?" His voice echo's disbelief.

Eis nods his head, and raises his right hand, he extends it to Red. "Yes… The Master told me, he knows everything… He knows how it came to be. All you need to do is renounce those false gods… And pledge loyalty to the Master"

Red's eyes flicker with indecision. He would never betray Mew or her love, but he won't deny that…. He's tempted. He's searched for as long as he can remember, for an answer to his oldest question. What is the Beast?

Eis takes a step towards Red. "Red… Simply take my hand, we shall leave this place and you will be reborn in the cleansing touch of darkness… You will become what you were meant to be Red… Their lies have polluted your mind, when you've been reborn. You will know all…."

Blade shakes his head. _"Master may be stupid, but he's not that stupid"_ He thought.

Red opens his mouth to tell Eis to shove his offer up his ass, but no words escape his lips.

Eis tilts his head curiously, what could he be doing?

Red's head gains a black hue around it, his head rolls on his neck, as he does his face changes. It turns darker, his teeth sharpen, his pupils narrow and his nose squishes down.

Eis' eyes shrink in fear. Terror washes over him, a cold sweat rolls down his forehead and he begins shaking like a leaf.

Blade's eyes widen in disbelief, his jaw drops open. _"MASTER! NNNNNOOOOOOO!"_ He screeched.

Serena's hands are wrapped around the window frame, when she sees Red's face change; she digs her nails into the wood. Her face freezes in complete and utter terror, she recognises that look.

She tries to speak, but nothing comes out.

The Beast glares at Eis, he grins broadly. Red tries desperately to regain control over himself, the Beast is only controlling his head, everything else is him.

" _ **Hello… Brother"**_

Eis takes a step back, drops his hand and rips his sword out of the earth. "Stay away from me!" He screamed.

The Beast tilts its head on its side. _**"Is that anyway to treat me? I'm your brother?… How cliché. I'm not your brother, YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE MASTER! YOU BETRAYED YOUR OWN KIND! THE MASTER HAS FORSAKEN YOU!"**_ It screamed.

Eis' sword shakes in his hand, fear has completely washed over him. "I…. I…. The Master hasn't forsaken me. If he had, why would I be the one he chose to deliver his message?" Fear makes his voice shake.

The Beast draws a toothy grin. _**"Oh? He chose you?... Hmmm…. What could you have possibly done to redeem yourself?"**_

Before Eis can respond, Red regains control. "Nice try, I'm in control. Not you. Go back to your cage, where you belong!"

He rolls his head on his neck, as he does, his face returns to normal.

Blade snarls down at Red. _"YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!"_

Serena takes a breath of relief, her grip on the window frame easies up. "Oh thank you sweet merciful crap"

Eis relaxes, his sword stops shaking and he stops sweating. He smiles darkly at Red. "Well, that was unexpected… Did you let him out? Do you need him by your side to face me?"

Red closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. "I need no one" He opens his eyes, they've turned blood red. "I stand alone"

 **(A/N I do not own I stand alone, I changed a couple of lyrics, but I don't own it)**

He turns to the axe he embedded into the earth; he grabs it with both hands.

 **I've told you this, once before. You can't control me.**

Eis twirls his sword in his hand. "Too bad… If you stand alone, then you die alone"

 **If you try to take me down, you're goanna break!**

 **I feel your every, nothing that you're doing for me.**

Red rips the axe out of the earth; he holds the head to his right side. His eyes are burning with renewed passion.

 **I'm picking you outta me! You run away!**

They sprint towards each other, each roaring at the tops of their lungs at the other.

 **I STAND ALONE!**

They reach each other; Red swings his axe out towards Eis' head. Just before the strike lands, Eis leans backwards. The side of the axe head brushes against his face.

 **INSIDE I! STAND ALONE!**

The axe swings out to the side. While Red recovers from the stagger of his attack, Eis slashes his sword across Red's chest once again, this time he barely manages to cause a light scratch.

Red spins the axe around in his hand, the head changes direction. He swings it with all of his strength.

Eis manages to dodge it once again, though it was more difficult.

 **You're always hiding behind, your so called god. So what, you don't think that we can see your face?!**

 **You returned before, the resurrected.**

 **I'll never rest, until I can live free…**

Eis rolls across the garden of icy knives, blood splatters across the ground. Eis ignores his pain, and puts his plan in action. "That axe is too big a threat to face head on… I need to remove it" He thought.

He continues to roll, until he reaches the frozen tree. He stands up and leans against it.

Red's axe swings close to the ground, a shockwave rips the knives out of the ground, leaving the round bare.

He snarls at his opponent. "I STAND ALONE!"

 **I'm not afraid of fading!**

 **I stand alone!**

 **Feeling your sting down inside me, I'M NOT DYING FOR IT!**

Red turns around to face Eis. He raises his axe above his head and slams it into the ground. The earth splits upon impact, the split runs up to the base of the tree and between Eis' feet.

Red light bursts forth from the split, making the earth crack apart around it.

Eis' eyes widen in fear, in less than a second the light beneath his feet bursts out in the form of an explosion. Smoke envelops Eis and the tree.

 **I STAND ALONE!**

Red rips the axe out of the ground and holds it to his right side. He sprints towards the tree and swings the axe behind him as he does.

Eis draws the smoke into his body, absorbing it into his Aura. His eyes widen in shock and surprise as the sight of the axe coming towards his head.

Red slams the axe into Eis' head. Eis barely manages to turn into smoke before his head is cleaved in two.

Red watches the smoke move to his left side and reform into Eis.

 **Everything that I believe is fading…**

 **I STAND ALONE! INSIDE I! STAND ALONE!**

 **(A/N If your YouTubeing the song, you might want to pause it for a moment. This part is long)**

Eis holds his sword in front of his face; he slides his left hand over the crimson stained blade. As he does, the blade changes colour. The blood slides off, and the silver blade turns black.

Red looks at it confused for a second and then Eis reveals his true intentions.

He slams the blade into Red's left upper arm. The blade slices through his flesh, muscles, tendons but finally stops when it crashes into the bone.

Red's eyes widen in pain. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screeched at the top of his lungs.

The pain is far more intense than it should be; he's suffered injuries like this before, but the pain has never been this intense before.

Eis rips his sword out of Red's arm, barely any blood flows from the wound. The blade returns to its normal silver colour, he holds it at his side.

He smirks broadly. "And now…. You lose your arm"

Red looks confused for a moment, then realisation dawns on him. He's losing the feeling in his entire left arm. Everything from the shoulder down is going numb.

Even the pain from his wound is fading. His hand drops down from the handle and hangs down to his side. Blood slowly drips down his now numb arm.

Blade stares at the scene in confusion. _"What the? What's wrong with your arm Master?"_

Serena gasps in horror; she's never seen a wound like this before. "Red… Please be OK"

Red looks down at his arm in horror, he tries channelling his Aura into his wound, but nothing happens. He can't heal his wound.

Eis recognises what he's trying to do, and laughs. "Hehehehehehehe…. You can't heal, because you can't remove venom….. How do you like my Frostbite? I made it just for you; you should start to lose your mind any time now"

Sure enough, Red's starting to feel the true effects of Eis' toxin. His vision is blurring and he's feeling dizzy.

He loses his grip on his weapon and staggers towards Eis. "I.. I can….. Still…" He stumbles to his left, towards the house rather than his opponent. "Fight… I'm not…. Not done yet"

Eis stabs his sword into the earth and laughs. "HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The invincible monster of the forest finally falls to me"

His eyes follow Red as he stumbles towards the house.

Red can't see properly anymore, everything is blurring together. He inadvertently walks straight into the wall beneath Serena's window. As he does, the blood from his small cuts and wounds splatters across the wall.

He turns around and presses his back against the wall to try and regain his senses. His head is getting incredibly heavy; it feels like it's made of bricks.

Eis, now certain of his victory, struts towards Red confidently. He reaches the poisoned man, he slams his right hand against the wall next to his head. "I give it another minute before you collapse. Then, you won't be able…"

He lifts his head up, and looks up at Serena. She's poking her head out of the window to look at Red, her hair is draping down the wall. Tears well up in her eyes as her fear for Red builds.

Eis smirks darkly at Serena. "To protect her… She'll be mine. I'll enjoy drawing out her power"

Red barely hears what he said; his world is growing darker and darker. He lifts his head up, and the moon catches his eye.

 **Now it's my time… It's my time to dream…**

When he gazes up at the shining light, he sees what he's seen every night since he was a child…. He sees Serena gazing back at him.

She smiles down at him, with a loving gaze.

 **Dream of the skies….**

Fear swells inside him. "Serena…. Get away from me…. The Beast will kill you" He muttered.

Eis turns his attention down at him. "Aw… You're hallucinating…. I didn't expect that effect"

The Serena Red sees in the moon shakes her head at him.

 **Make me believe that this place isn't plagued by the poison in me…**

 **I'll keep my fire burning, until you can breathe…..**

A tear drops from the real Serena's eyes, it drops onto Red's forehead. He feels the tear hit him, as it does his vision begins to waver again.

 **BREATHE INTO ME!**

Serena steals her courage; she pushes her fear out of her mind. Red needs help, she doesn't care what he said, he needs her. She looks down at Red with a look of bravery.

"RED! DON'T YOU _DARE_ GIVE UP! I BELIEVE IN YOU!" She screamed. "YOU CAN BEAT THAT SICK SON OF A BITCH!"

Eis glares up at her. "HA! He can't even hear you bitch"

Red lifts his head up to look at her, his vision focuses enough to see her. He sees she's not given up on him. "S-Serena?"

Eis looks down at Red in confusion. "What? You should be collapsing, how can you even speak?"

 **I STAND ALONE!**

Red focuses as hard as he can, through sheer willpower he clenches his hands into fists and growls lowly at Eis. "I told you before… You can't kill what's already dead"

One of his swords wiggles in the frozen earth; it breaks free and flies into Red's right hand. He grips it as tightly as he possible can.

 **INSIDE I! STAND ALONE!**

Red summons all of his strength, and swings the sword up to his left. His sword tastes Eis' flesh, his blood and his bones… Red slices off Eis' right hand.

Blood spurts forth and plasters both Red, and the wall. Eis' hand drops down to the floor, it convulses like it's possessed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eis screamed at the top of his lungs, as he clutched his bloody stump with his one hand.

His hand abruptly stops its convulsions, thick black smoke rises out of the bloody wound and fades away. As the smoke rises out of the wound, the hand turns black and shrivels up. The flesh drains out of the hand, leaving it nothing but literal skin and bones.

Serena gasps in horror, both at the sight of Red slicing off a human arm, and the shrivelling hand.

 **FEELING YOUR STING DOWN INSIDE ME! I'M NOT DYING FOR IT!**

 **I STAND ALONE!**

Red lifts his blood stained sword up to his face. He looks at the blood in confusion. "Did I do that?" He thought

Eis stumbles backwards, clutching his bleeding stump in sheer horror. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Red shakes his head, he must focus. This must be done before he succumbs to the toxin coursing through his veins.

He stumbles forward and points his sword in Eis' face. His sword is shaking slightly, but it's still a significant threat.

 **Everything that I believe is fading…**

 **I STAND ALONE!**

Eis continues to clutch his new found stump, but he stops screaming and focuses on the sword being pointed into his face.

He growls lowly. "How the fuck did you do that?! You shouldn't be able to see straight, let alone fight back!"

Red narrows his eyes, his head is wobbling slightly. He looks like he's drunk beyond imagining. "I have one arm left, but that's all that I need to kill you"

Eis clutches his stump tighter, in an attempt to ease the bleeding. "I'll admit, you're stronger than I thought you'd be! It seems my toxin wasn't strong enough to kill you, but there's no way to save your arm! You might as well cut it off now!"

Red grits his teeth, his strength is fading fast, he needs to end this now. "I told you last time we met… I'm already dead. How can you kill what's already dead?"

Eis slowly smirks. "True… I've already killed you once…."

 **INSIDE I, STAND ALONE!**

 **INSIDE I, STAND ALONE!**

 **INSIDE I, STAND ALONE!**

In a flash, Eis prepares to strike back at Red. Smoke pours from his stump, and forms into another hand.

Eis has regrown his severed hand. The hand that was chopped off by Red turns to purse smoke. The smoke flies towards his sword, wraps around the hilt and rips it out of the earth.

Red sees what Eis is doing, he growls lowly and swings his sword towards Eis' face one final time.

Blood splatters across his face and the once white wall of the house. Eis' sword falls to the earth and the smoke holding it fades away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eis screeched once again, but far louder than before.

The strike forces him to turn around on the spot and clutch his face with both of his hands. Blood pours down onto the ground, and Eis continues to scream.

Red presses his sword into Eis' back. "Face your death like a man" He said weakly.

Eis grits his teeth; his face is wracked in agonising pain. "Do you remember what happens when _my_ kind dies?"

Red shuts his eyes and lowers his head. "Face me, before you die you coward"

Eis breathes shortly and sharply through his nose. He slowly turns around to face Red, once again. Red lifts his head up and opens his eyes to examine his handiwork and he presses his sword into Eis' chest.

His left eye has been sliced open, as has his eyebrow and cheek. Blood is flowing down his face and dripping down onto the ground.

Red raises an eyebrow. "Huh… I didn't realise I got _that_ good a hit in"

Eis growls lowly. "I ask you again, do you remember what happens to _my_ kind when we die?"

Red nods his head slowly. "Yeah… I remember. That's why I'm sparing you tonight. Leave now… Before I decide to let Charizard have his revenge for what you did to him"

Eis looks down at the sword being pressed into his chest. He slowly lifts his head up to glare at Red. Blood is still steadily flowing from his eye and slashes. "All right Boy… I suppose this was enough of a warmup for what is to come"

His sword turns to smoke, the smoke flies into him. It hits him, and is absorbed into his being.

Red's knees are weakening, through sheer force of will, he manages to lock them. "If you didn't come here to hunt me, why did you come here?"

Eis grins broadly. "I am on my way to my next target, Master has a message for this world, and I have been chosen to bring it to this world"

"Soon this world will be bathed in the cleansing touch of darkness…. The great cleansing will begin soon; the shinning city is where it will begin… I do hope to see you there, _Boy_ "

Red can barely keep himself standing; the toxin has failed to kill him, but has succeeded in draining his strength.

"Red… I give you one final chance to take me up on my offer" He lifts his newly regrown hand, and offers it to Red. "Renounce those false gods, and join us…. Serve the _true_ god… The Eternal Master of darkness…"

Red scowls at Eis, but doesn't respond.

"(Sigh) I don't want to kill you Red…. You're far too useful to us alive, when we first met; you were a weak and pathetic child…. But, your true power quickly emerged. In ten years, your powers have continued to grow stronger and stronger….. If you joined us, you would now power beyond your wildest dreams"

Red grits his teeth. "I will join you, when I sprout blue feathers, grow wings and quack like a Ducklet"

Eis grits his teeth and growls lowly. "That sense of humour will get you killed Boy…. But, as you already said…. You're already dead"

"Yeah… You saw to that, remember?"

Eis cracks a dark smile. "Oh yes, I saw the weak and pathetic Red die… And I watched one of the most powerful Knights I have ever seen, be born"

Blade growls down at this scene. _"You sick son of a bitch. You talk about the brutal murder of a child, like it was a good thing"_

"Think about my generous offer Boy… Next time we meet, I will be fighting with everything I have… You will see the true power of darkness" Eis spat. He turns his attention to Serena.

"Serena, enjoy what time you have left…. This world will burn soon enough"

Red turns the sword in his hand; he thrusts it into the earth. Eis returns his attention to Red as he does. Red clenches his hand into a fist, and ploughs it into Eis' bleeding eye.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eis screeched as he stumbled backwards, clutching his eye.

Red breathes deeply, that attack took most of his strength. "Touch her, and you will know the deepest depths of my anger… You will know pain worse than anything you have ever felt or dealt in your entire life. Do I make myself clear?"

Eis slowly removes his hands from his bleeding eye and snarls at Red.

"Regrow that one bitch!" Serena shouted, surprising everyone there.

Eis clenches his blood soaked fists. "We will meet again Boy…. When we do, you will join us"

His entire body turns to smoke once again, this time though the smoke swirls around on the spot. The wind once again picks up, and blasts Red with its cold sting.

The smoke flies up into the air, and jets off into the distance. Red, Blade and Serena all watch as it very quickly becomes lost in the night sky.

* * *

Red drops to his knees, to stop himself from faceplanting into the frozen earth, he grabs his sword and leans on it.

He still has no feeling in his left arm, so he can only use his right arm to support himself. He starts panting heavily, as sweat floods down his face.

Serena turns around from the window, she races through her room. She's desperate to get to Red, every fibre of her being is screeching for her to get to him.

The one thought swirling through her mind is. "If the others are still asleep, it'll be a fucking miracle"

Blade leaps down from the roof, onto the frozen earth. He lands on one knee, with his pincers in the earth. He stands up, and turns to the weakened Red.

He glares at Red with anger burning in his eyes. _"Master, heal your wounds, clean yourself up and get some rest… Eis used poison in that blow to your arm, it's goanna take time to work through your system"_ His tone is serious, but his anger is not directed at Red.

Red's blood is still steadily flowing from his wounds; his strength is all but gone. He digs into his reserves of energy and heals his wounds.

Red pulses gently wash over his broken body; his blood steadily flows back into his wounds. His flesh nits back together, his wounds fade away, but the pain remains. Eis' blood falls from his body, and onto the earth.

The deep slash on his left arm remains, the blood has stopped flowing from it, but it just won't heal.

He lifts his head up, his face is back to the way it was before Eis attacked. "I wish I could heal better…. This is goanna hurt like a bitch later"

He slides his good arm out from under him, and gently presses his hand into the frozen ground. "Holy shit its cold out here"

He presses down with everything he has; slowly he lifts himself up off the ground. Through sheer force of will, he lifts his right knee up and presses his foot into earth.

He pushes himself harder and staggers to his feet. He turns to look at the garden, his face drops. "Shit…. How am I ever goanna clean this up?"

Blade turns and examines the garden with intricate detail. He sighs heavily. _"This is goanna take forever…"_

There is a massive split in the earth that leads to the tree. Red's axe is deeply embedded in the tree; the grass is soaked in blood but remains frozen. There are several deep splits in the earth, where swords have been stabbed into the earth.

The glass door opens; a frozen Serena walks out into the garden. Her flesh is changing colour, she's losing the feeling in her hands and feet and her hair is standing on end.

She looks down at herself; she blushes crimson when she sees her chest. Her nipples are erect from the cold; they're poking through her nightie.

Both Red and Blade turn around to look at her, Red smiles at her while Blade simply nods his head to acknowledge her.

She covers her embarrassment with her arms; she tries to hide it rubbing her arms with her hands. "Red… Are you OK?"

"I'll live…."

Serena examines him; she can see he's healed his wounds, except his arm. "Why haven't you healed your arm?"

He sighs. "Eis used poison; I can't feel my arm in the slightest… For some reason it just won't heal"

Serena drops her arms and practically jumps on him. She wraps her arms around him and cries into his shoulder. "I WAS SO SCARED!" She cried.

Red's very surprised by this, he nervously wraps his good arm around her back, and gently rubs it. "It's OK… He's gone. He can't hurt you"

Serena shakes her head. "I'm not scared about that… He almost killed you" She wails harder into his shoulder.

Blade raises an eyebrow and tilts his head to the side. He watches the pair of them curiously. _"It seems she has feelings for him…. Master, why do you torture yourself like this?"_ He thought.

Red hugs her tighter. "I'm fine Serena… It takes a lot more than that to finish me off" He said comfortingly.

Serena clings to him for dear life. "Red, he stabbed you with a sword…. How can you say that?"

He cracks a smile. "I've been stabbed, slashed, burned, poisoned, drowned, dropped and… I don't even remember what… He and countless others have all tried and failed to kill me. But I'm still here, don't worry… I won't leave you again"

"Y-Y-You promise? You promise you aren't going to leave me again?" She asked with hope.

Red winces, he shouldn't have said that… Oh well, no way out of it without hurting her now. "OK then… I promise I won't leave you again. You're stuck with me now"

Blade facepalms. _"You moron… Now we have to bring her with us when we return home"_ He thought.

She feels no end of comfort upon hearing those words. She slowly releases her grip on him, her tears dry and she smiles broadly at him.

"Red… Thank you… Can… Can I ask you for something?"

He slides his hand off her back and drops it to his side. "Anything Serena, if it's in my power, I'll do it"

She smiles up at him, with a deep blush. She summons her courage once again. "Red…. I'm scared. Too scared to fall asleep… Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep? Please?"

Red blushes beetroot red, he wasn't expecting a request like that. "Ugh… Ugh…. O-OK, but why?"

She holds her hands behind her back as her blush deepens. "I… I feel safe when you're with me….. You've protected me twice today. You…. You make me feel safe when you hug me…. I feel like nothing could hurt me…"

Red tries to hide his blush from her. "Oh…. Oh….. OK then… If that's what you want" He said weakly.

She sees his blushing face, it makes her heart flutter. "It is…" She reaches forwards, and takes his good hand in hers. "Let's go then" She said weakly.

She turns towards the door, which is still open. Together they walk into the house; Serena guides Red to her bedroom.

"Well, this isn't the way I've dreamed off… But Red's going into my bedroom with me!" She mentally squealed at her thought.

* * *

The young couple walks through her bedroom door, unable to use his free hand; Red uses his foot to gently push the door shut. He doesn't want to risk waking the others, if they aren't already awake.

Serena can barely contain her excitement, she absent mindedly releases his hand. He returns his attention to her, he finds his eyes quickly glue to her ass.

He blushes deeply and tries to turn away, but he can't. "Red stop it; stop staring at that….. Perfect heart shaped pillow of an ass…" He thought.

Serena turns around slowly, her hair flies around as she does. As she does, she sees where his eyes are looking, she blushes.

Finally Red's gaze is broken; instead it's drawn to her hair and eyes. He's quickly enthralled by her beauty.

She sees how he's looking at her now, she blushes deeper and holds her hands behind her back. "Red…. Are you in there?" She teased.

Red snaps back into reality, he nervously looks around her room, desperately searching for a distraction.

Serena giggles lightly at his nervousness. "Red, don't be embarrassed… It's normal for guys to look at women's ass'…. Don't be shy"

Red's eyes shrink in fear. "SHIT SHE SAW ME!" He mentally screamed.

She slinks forwards seductively; she got his attention, now it's time to act on it. "Don't be embarrassed… Really, it's normal…. I've been looking at you like that too you know"

Red slowly turns his eyes to hers, he barely heard her. "I'm so sorry"

She giggles again as she reaches him; she slowly drapes her arms around his neck. "Don't apologise… I like it when you look at me like that" She whispered in his ear.

He blushes beetroot red. "OK its official, I'm hallucinating" He thought.

She presses her cheek against his and slowly presses herself into him. This attention is getting too much for him, he pops a boner.

Serena feels him press into her, confusion races through her. What is that? She truly has no clue.

Her eyes widen, her blush deepens and a goofy smile falls onto her face. It dawns on her, Red wants her.

It may not be how she dreamed it would be, seeing as how Red's wounded from battle and can't feel his arm…. But she doesn't care, she wants to give herself to Red and now's her best chance.

She pulls her head back and looks into his eyes; she slowly bats her eyelashes at him. He looks back into her eyes; both of their brains are shutting down, and their libidos are quickly taking control.

She presses her tits into his chest, making them both breathe deeper. "This is the best hallucination ever" Red thought.

"Please don't let this be a dream" Serena thought.

Red nervously lifts his hand up, and places it on her back. "Not wearing….. Whatever holds your tits up" He thought.

She wiggles her hips and brushes against his throbbing boner. "Come on Red… Say something…. Isn't this what you want?" She complained.

He nervously swallows; this may be a hallucination… But he's goanna enjoy it. He pulls her in even closer to him, she smiles broadly. "More than anything in the world…" He whispered.

She squeals in happiness. The pain and fear, that has consumed them both is gone now… All they want is each other.

"Then…. Let's have some fun" She whispered seductively. She pulls her head back and turns it towards the bed; she turns back to him and smiles weakly. "Come with me"

Neither of them moves their hands off the other, but Serena manages to back up to her bed, dragging Red with her.

Her legs bump into her soft mattress; she falls back onto her bed and pulls Red down with her for the second time today.

She slides her hands off his neck and cups them on his cheeks. "Kiss me…" She whispered. Her dreams are finally coming true…

As much as Red wants this, he knows it's not really happening… If he carries on, he could easily end up hurting her. He can't do this.

He slides his hand out from under her, but keeps it gently pressed against her side. He slowly slides his hand up her side, brushing against her tit; he slowly slides it up her shoulder and caresses her neck.

She shuts her eyes and enjoys the feeling of his hand against her body, her heart flutters when it brushes against her tit. When it reaches her neck, a moan of pleasure escapes her mouth. " _Oooooooohhh_ don't stop"

It takes all of his self-control and willpower to keep himself from slamming his lips into hers… He caresses her neck, and slides it up to her face. She opens her eyes and pouts in disappointment.

"I said _don't_ stop…. Now you're going to have to make me happy another way" She whispered seductively.

He gazes deeply into her eyes, his hand lifts from her face. He holds it over her, a read hue leaks from it.

"Sleep…" He whispered.

The instant the word escapes his lips, Serena's eye lids slams shut, her hands drop from his face and she falls into a deep sleep.

He gently caresses her cheek with the back of his hand. "Serena…. I'm sorry if I did anything inappropriate to you… Now get some rest, you've had a long day"

He stands up again, the toxin is still coursing through his veins, it's disorientating. "I can't rest yet… I've got to finish up" He thought.

He slides his arm underneath her once again, this time he places his hand in her right armpit. He now has the leverage he needs to pull her around.

Using his left foot, he gently lifts her legs up and onto the bed. Simultaneously pulling on her upper half, he slides her delicate body into a lying position.

He slides his arm out from under her, and lowers his foot. He grabs her duvet, and pulls it over her. When it reaches her neck, she grabs it herself and wraps it around herself better than he could. She rolls onto her side, making her hair falls across her face.

He smiles down at her. "Serena… You're one of my oldest friends… You're what kept me going during the darkest times… You mean the world to me….. I promise, as soon as I can live my life free of fear, I'll tell you how I feel….. Until then, I can't feel like that about you….. Your one of my oldest friends, nothing more…. Nothing less"

She stirs slightly. "Red…." She moaned.

He smiles wider; he reaches down and strokes her hair out of her face. "Goodnight Serena…. I promise I will protect you and keep you safe for as long as I live…"

He's overcome with a powerful desire to kiss her… He gives into temptation, and lightly kisses her forehead. "Goodnight…." He whispered.

He turns around, and quietly stumbled out of her room. Being careful not to wake anyone in the house, if they're still asleep anyway.

He carefully shuts the door, as he does, Serena rolls onto her back, smiles and rubs her forehead lightly. "Don't go…" She pleaded in the form of a whisper.

* * *

Red made his way out into the garden, being careful not to break anything. To stop his numb arm from hitting anything as he walks, he stuffed his hand into his pocket.

He opens the glass door, goes out into the garden then quietly shuts it behind him. Blade is standing in front of him; he has his back to him though.

His eyes are shut, his head is lowered and his arms are crossed. _"Master, I'm surprised that you're back so soon… I expected you to sleep, with her"_

Red stumbles forwards, it's easier with his arm not flailing around. "No, I can't sleep Blade… You know I can't this soon"

" _True. You must wait a couple of nights first. I thought you would collapse from exhaustion though"_

Red stumbles to Blade's side. "I'm not far from it… Eis' poison has really screwed with my mind"

Blade opens his eyes and turns them towards Red. _"How so?"_

Red looks at his slash, since he can't heal it he'll need to treat it the old fashioned way. "I just had a hallucination…"

Blade tilts his head slightly. _"What kind of hallucination?"_

Red blushes lightly. "I….. I….. Hallucinated that she was….. Trying to mate with me"

Blade raises an eyebrow. _"Well… I wasn't expecting that… Wait, how can you hallucinate about that? You don't even know how humans mate"_

Red blushes beetroot red. "Well, neither do you!" He replied sharply. "What difference does it make? It was a hallucination"

Blade raises an eyebrow at Red's humiliation. _"I don't need to know, I'm not human. You really need to learn, how else will you reproduce?"_

Red scowls down at him. "Shut up. I'm the only human back home, how in the world can I learn about that?"

" _There are always coupling mating back home… Figured you would have learned something by now"_

Red blushes deeply again. "I know what happens… I'm not _that_ stupid, I know mating leads to babies… But it's not like I watch them at it, that's disgusting. Can we _please_ change the subject?"

Blade closes his eyes once again. _"There's something I need to talk to you about…. Why is Charizard going insane?"_

Red shrugs his shoulders. "I've got no clue… And I don't think he knows either"

" _Normally when females perform display like that to him, he just attacks them…. Or worse… Why did he run and hide from Charla? What's so special about her?"_

"What are you asking me for? I tried concentrating on our Connection, all I found was confusion and fear…. It's weird"

Blade opens his eyes and turns to look at him. _"Onto a different subject… Did she ask about anything that was said?"_

Red looks embarrassed. "I…. Ugh….. Don't know… My hallucination affected my hearing as well… I just heard strange things"

Blade returns to way he was before. _"Before I treat your injury….. Do you want to talk about what happened?"_

The blood drains from Red's face, he looks down at the frozen earth. "No. You know what happens when I think about that…. The past must remain buried, along with Red Ketchum"

Blade sighs. _"Master, I understand how painful it is for you to speak about it… But you must move on from it, it was ten years ago… It made you into who you are today, a proud strong man… A man who I am proud to call Master, but even prouder to call Brother"_

Red grits his teeth and shuts his eyes. "No Blade… It didn't. It made me a killer…. It destroyed me from the inside out; it ripped out everything that I was…. It filled me with nothing but anger, hatred and pain… It turned me into a creature that is little more than the Beast…. It killed Red, and gave birth to me… Nothing can ever change that"

Blade looks up at him with a sharp glare. _"Bullshit. Your heart has room for love in it, how else can you love the younglings? You love each and every one of them, and you know it. You don't see them as your children, but you love them all like they're your own blood none the less… You are closer to some more than others, but you love them all none the less… If your heart is filled with nothing but anger and pain, how can you love them?"_

Red opens his eyes, lifts his head up and gazes at the moon. "That doesn't change what I am Blade… We all have the instinct to protect younglings"

Blade shakes his head. _"Wrong, we have the instinct to protect our own, and our own young…. You're the only one, besides Mew, who I know who has the instinct to protect younglings regardless of their parentage… I won't deny that I too have grown fond of them, but I wouldn't have helped them if you hadn't asked me to"_

Red doesn't avert his gaze from the moon, he's once again been enthralled by it. "Blade…. Can you help me with something?"

Blade tilts his head. _"What is it?"_

"Can you get some resources for me? I need to treat this wound the old fashioned way"

Blade nods his head. _"Off course Master. But, think about what I have said… You're a monster, not an animal… When will we return home?"_

Red takes a breath; the air is slightly warmer than it was when Eis was here. "We will go back after the Beast has been beaten down, it's getting close to breaking free completely…. I can't put the younglings at risk…. For now, we must see our family again….. It's been so long"

Blade nods his head, and then jumps clean over the fence.

Red's eyes glisten in the moonlight, years of pain and suffering reflect in them. "My heart was ripped out years ago….. I will never be what I once was. I will never be the boy they remember…. I am a monster; I just hope they can accept me like this"

* * *

 **Well guys, there it is…. Again, I'm so sorry for the delay. I had so many different ideas for this chapter, but none of them flowed properly… I'd write most of the chapter, then I'd take a look at it, realise it didn't work and restart it…. You have no clue how frustrating that is.**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter, I worked hard to get the fight scenes right, it's my weakest area.**

 **For those of you wondering if that was Charizard's revenge, it wasn't. He'll get revenge against Red next chapter.**

 **Oh Serena… So close… So very close. She's goanna have a job at getting him though, he hasn't got a clue about how to have sex with her…. HA! Seriously though, how's he supposed to know? He's got no one to ask.**

 **Well he could ask Mew, but that wouldn't be any different from asking your mother what your boner's for…. Awkward.**

 **There won't be moments like this in every chapter; I just couldn't resist putting this in there.**

 **Bet you guys weren't expecting the cold blooded killer to be a babysitter, were you? Well, I wasn't planning on this when I first started writing this chapter, but I had the idea and it made a lot of my other idea's work better.**

 **Hopefully the next chapter won't take anywhere near as long to write, I have a good idea of what I want to do with it, and it** _ **should**_ **flow properly.**

 **Drop a review guys, feel free to make suggestions, follow/favourite and PM. I always respond to PM's, I'm not an asshole who ignores people…. I'm just mad off my ass…**

 **Dragon out!**


	9. Prepare for war

**Hey guys!**

 **The mad dragon is back!**

 **Shoutouts to WolfBlade84, Nightgale45 and everyone who clicked that follow/favourite buttons, thanks for the support it's really appreciated.**

 **Wolf, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Nightgale, I didn't expect anyone to take a quote from any of this, thanks. Red is a survivor… He's** _ **very**_ **hard to kill. But, everything that has a beginning…. Has an end…. That's my favourite quote, it's from the Matrix as Smith thought he had defeated Neo… Then turns into a fucking coward and essentially kills himself… :/**

 **This chapter isn't great, I know it but it's the best I can do…. I guarantee next chapter WILL be better.**

 **Wolf pointed out that I've made a mistake with some of the characters. They're too tall; I'm going to correct that now.**

 **Serena's new height is 5 foot 8 inches and Lily's now 5 foot 9 inches tall. Sorry about that.**

 **As for the rest, they're staying the same. Eis' overall weirdness is going to be explained eventually, that includes his height.**

 **I've gone back and changed this in previous chapters, so that's it. I fixed the mistake…. Yay :)**

 **Disclaimer: Hmm… To own Pokémon, or not to own Pokémon… That is the question…. I'm goanna say…. No.**

* * *

 **BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP**

A slender hand reaches out from under a duvet and slams down randomly on the nightstand, searching desperately for the source of the horrible bleeping.

"I fucking hate these things" Lily said bitterly.

Her hand finally finds the source of the horrible sound; she clenches her fist and raises it above the offending object. With diabolical pleasure she slams it down onto her digital alarm clock. The horrible bleeping finally stops, it seems to clock has survived the confrontation.

"Uuuugggghhhh…. What time is it?" She sleepily groaned to no one in particular. When no one answers her question, she pulls her duvet down from her face so she can look at her clock.

She's not wearing any makeup this morning, which makes sense seeing as she's only just woke up.

"8:00?! Shit! Fucking shit!" She shouted as she ripped the duvet off herself and jumped out of bed.

She sleeps in dark grey jogging bottoms and her bra, today she's wearing a white lace one.

* * *

Delia's apartment is quite large; it has three bedrooms, an ensuit bathroom and a second bathroom in the hallway.

There isn't any dining area to speak of; they usually eat in the living room. The kitchen is rather small in comparison to the rest of the apartment, but nothing's perfect.

Lucario doesn't have room or bed of his own, he has no need for either of them. He sleeps in a meditative pose in the living room, so he can listen out for intruders and defend his family if necessary. Although, his fighting days are long since passed.

He hasn't fought in years, and hasn't battled for even longer. His last fight was a decade ago, against the Beast. Since those dark days, Lily and Torchic have taken up the role as the family fighters.

Still, it makes him feel useful to keep alert and ready to fight.

Both Lily and Torchic have grown strong in these past ten years, Torchic evolved into a strong Combusken and then again into a powerful Blaziken. He was once a timid little chic, now he's a brave fighting chicken.

Lily has only caught one Pokémon in her life, but that's mostly due to her training and other 'activities' keeping her busy, she's determined to be the strongest Knight there is, she _will_ surpass her brother.

She didn't even intend to catch her newest Pokémon; she caught him so she could transport him… He was once a nuisance for the city, causing problems for its residents. Now he's the Ketchum's problem, sometimes Lily finds herself asking why she even keeps him around.

Fate has a bad habit of giving us all the middle finger, she caught him and now she's stuck with him.

* * *

Lily's room is quite similar to her old room in Kanto. Her bed is positioned next to her window; she still loves to watch the skies at night. Her nightstand is next to her bed, she keeps her Pokéballs on the top of it, along with an alarm clock and a small light.

She has a small wardrobe as well; as she grew she never develop a taste for shopping and clothes… She's still far more interested in fighting and nature. Although, she has developed a taste for boots.

She doesn't have a desk anymore though; Delia decided not to bring it with them just so Lily could use it to store her crap.

In its place, Lily has put up a tree like structure. It looks like a large strong tree, has been shrunk down and placed in her room. The bottom of which is like the roots of a tree; three large branches are extended from the main trunk, they get thinner the further they go.

There is something on each of the branches; the first one has a cuttlefish bone. **(A/N Or whatever a cuttlefish is in Pokémon)** It's well used, Lily should replace it soon.

The second one has a couple of metal dishes attached to it, one is filled with various kinds of berries and the second is filled with water.

The final and highest branch has a metal frame attached to the end of it, it climbs up higher and forms a square shape, a mirror is hanging inside the frame.

The bottom of the trunk of the tree has a rather small hole in it, along with some feathers of various colours. There are green, yellow, blue, white and black feathers. Some of them have fallen out onto the floor, but most are on the inside.

This seems to be the bedding area for Lily's Pokémon. Wonder where Blaziken sleeps.

* * *

Lily sprints towards her ensuit bathroom, she's panicking. "Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit" She rambled.

She runs through the open door and slams it shut behind her. The door slamming awakens the Pokémon who calls the tree home.

" _What've you forgotten THIS time?"_ He called from the tree.

"I'M LATE!" She called back from the bathroom as she turned on the shower.

He pokes his head out of the hole and slowly opens and closes his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up properly.

* * *

His head is covered in black feathers, which form a musical note shape. He has a small hook like pink beak and two beady eyes with pink eyelids.

A tuft of white feathers forms a mane around his head. A crest of yellow feathers dominates his chest. Beneath the crest, his green feathers flow freely.

He has short stubby wings, the surface of which is dominated by blue feathers. The undersides of his wings have a small amount of yellow feathers.

He has two small yellow feet, three tiny talons on the front and a smaller spur on the back. They aren't sharp; so they aren't used for hunting, only gripping.

Finally, he has black tail feathers that form the shape of a metronome, when he's angry it moves side to side just like a metronome would.

He's a Chatot, a Pokémon known to learn and speak the human tongue.

* * *

Chatot yawns widely. _"Late? My god you're finally pregnant… Any clue who the father is?"_

"CHATOT! Not that kind of _late_ , I meant the time late… I should have gotten up a half hour ago" She called from the shower.

He climbs out of the tree and flies up onto the branch with the mirror on it. He lands next to his mirror; he fluffs up his feathers and scratches his right wing with his foot. _"You say that every morning, you're always late for your latest bit of fluff…"_

The sound of running water echoes through the room and steam begins to flow through the gap under the door. "Chatot, Red isn't a bit of fluff, he's our brother… How many times do I have to tell you that, you bloody bird?!"

Chatot turns towards the door, lowers his foot and folds his wing back in. _"That didn't stop you when you were on the phone…. Must you call me a bloody bird? You sound British when you do that"_

"What's British?... Shut up for a while, I need to shower" As she says this, an idea for a good laugh rolls into her mind. "Why don't you just play with your mirror?"

He hops on the spot and turns to his mirror, the moment he spots his mirror he scowls darkly and puffs up his feathers. _"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?! THIS IS_ _ **MY**_ _TREE BIRD BRAIN! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"_ He squawked angrily.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed

He angrily smacks his reflexion with his beak. _"TOUGH GUY HUH?!_ _ **LILY! GET THIS FUCKER OUT OF HERE!**_ _"_ He angrily squawked again.

* * *

In the living room, Lucario is resting on the sofa; the armchair beside the sofa is currently vacant. His paws are locked together in front of his face.

A small coffee table is positioned in front of the sofa and armchair. It's littered with various magazines, many of which contain articles written by Delia.

Fear is swirling through him; he saw something yesterday, something that sent a chill down his spine.

" _I know that look… That's the look of a killer"_ He thought.

Delia finally sits down next to Lucario; she's spent the morning preparing for Red and Serena's arrival. She's been bustling around, making sure everything's clean, making sure there's enough food and racking her brain trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements.

Their apartment only has three bedrooms, two of which are occupied already. She's been trying to figure out where they're all goanna sleep, the only solution she's come up with is for Serena and Lily to share a room.

She releases a sigh of relief. "That was exhausting… That room was filthy"

Lucario turns to look at her, but does not move his paws. _"Well, it hasn't been used for a long time… It's bound to have been dirty"_

"Yes, you're right. It hasn't been used in….. Has it ever been used?"

Ignoring her question, Lucario asks his own. _"Have you figured out where everyone is going to sleep? I doubt Lily will share"_ He added slyly.

She shrugs her shoulders lazily. "Well, she's goanna have to share with Serena… There's no other alternative"

In an instant, he forms a clever plan to help Red and Serena. He smirks slyly. _"Yes there is, they could always share the guest room"_

She looks at him with an innocent confused expression.

" _Hehehehehe…. I meant Red and Serena"_ He said with a grin.

She raises an eyebrow with a faint smile. "Oh sure, why not? Hell, why not give them some condoms and a book with ideas for positions while we're at it" She said sarcastically.

He grins wider. _"You and I both know you can't stop them, if that's what they want to do then they'll find a way to do it…. I would have thought you'd learnt that when you caught Lily, after you explicitly told her she's never to bring a boy here"_

She smiles wider. "Lucario, I learned that lesson long ago… You can't keep horny teenagers from having sex, no matter what you do… If necessary, they'll sleep on a bed of broken glass and nails to have sex"

" _Then why even fight it? They're not going to hurt anyone; they'll just be making each other happy… What's wrong with that?"_

She tries hard to think of a retort for that, she tries hard to think of a good excuse to keep them apart. But she's too tired to think hard, her resistance is low.

She drops her head onto the back of the sofa, shuts her eyes and huffs. "They're gonna sleep together no matter what I say, aren't they?"

He nods his head. _"Of course they will, I don't know about you Delia. But I could literally SEE the longing in both of their eyes… I wouldn't be surprised if they've already done it"_

She groans and covers her face with her hands. "Why did he have to come back as a teenager?" She whined.

He chuckles lightly. _"Hey, it could be worse…. He could have called you to tell you he's gotten her pregnant"_

She claws her fingers into her face, her eyes widen in horror. "Oh god…"

He turns his head to look out the window, he watches as the city begins to awaken. _"It could be even worse…"_

She rakes her fingers down her face and looks at him in horrible fear. "How?"

" _He could be telling you that you're a Grandmother, and that they're moving to the other side of the world…. Making it VERY difficult for you to ever see your Grandchild…. Or Grandchildren"_

If she was terrified before, it pales in comparison to the fear that's surging through her now. "NO! NOT MY GRANDBABIES!"

He smirks broadly, revelling in Delia's anguish over her non-existent Grandchildren. His plan is working well. _"There's always the chance that he could be telling you something even worse…"_

Tears quickly form in her eyes, the thought of never seeing her Grandchildren has her distraught…. What could possibly be worse than that? "How?" She hesitantly asked.

" _He could dedicate his life to the Aura Knights, if he did that then he'd likely never find a mate…. That means no Grandbabies for you"_ He said with a broad smirk.

Delia clutches her face in horror, her mouth drops open in a horrible frown. She seems to be imitating the famous painting 'The scream'

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT THAT! I _NEED_ TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!" She wailed.

He turns back to her with a solemn look on his face. _"Well, Knights usually pick their paths at a young age…"_

She drops her hands and looks at him with pleading eyes. "Please tell me how we can avoid that" She pleaded.

He thinks for a moment, then puts on a look of inspiration. _"I know, why not just nudge him into getting a mate early. That way he'll be more likely to marry her, and give you those Grandbabies you so dearly desire"_

Her eyes light up and huge smile hits her face. "That's all we have to do?! Let's just fix him up with someone then!" She shouted in joy.

He smiles broadly, his plan's working even better than he thought it would. _"Well, Serena's defiantly got her eye on him….. And I think he might have his on her…."_ He said lazily, leading Delia to do the rest.

She claps her hands hard as a lightbulb shines above her head. "I know, we'll just give them a nudge. They'll get together and then get married, then I'll have my Grandbabies!"

He rolls his eyes. _"Slow down Delia, don't start planning that wedding just yet… They're not even together yet"_

"How can we get them together?! COME ON THEY'LL BE HERE SOON!"

" _Well…. If we try to fix them up they'll likely rebel against us, and stay apart… We'll have to be subtle, put them in situations where they believe it'll be their idea not ours"_

"I know, why not let them share the guest room?! It's perfect, they'll give in and sleep together…. Then they'll _have_ to get married!" She exclaimed.

He raises an eyebrow. _"Are you saying that they're going to share a room? There's only one bed…. You know what they'll do"_

She nods her head. "Yes, they'll be sharing a room tonight"

He nods his head. _"OK then Delia, if that's what you think is best"_

She nods her head furiously. "Of course it's what's best" She drops her head onto the sofa with a colossal smile on her face.

Lucario returns to the way he was before she sat down, only he's smirking broadly now. _"Hehehehehe"_ He laughed very lowly and darkly.

Delia looks confused for a moment, then her smile slowly disappears. She glares at the aging Pokémon with daggers for eyes. "You sneaky…"

He turns back to her with his smirk still pressed firmly against his face. _"It was YOUR idea…. I just guided you to it"_

She breathes deeply and snorts out each breath, she's absolutely livid with rage. "You sneaky bastard…. You tricked me"

He closes his eyes and smiles. _"You decided it yourself, the sleeping arrangements are made"_

She tries hard to think of a retort, something that she can use to get out of this… Her exhaustion is taking its toll on her though, she can't think of anything.

She sighs in defeat and slumps her head back on the sofa again. "You may be old, but your mind is still as sharp as ever…. Fine, I won't go back on my decision, as much as I want to"

He reveals in his victory. _"You can thank me later Red"_ He thought.

She closes her eyes and tries to relax. "I'm going to start living in my own world now; they're goanna wait until they're married…."

He snorts out a laugh. _"Really? You're really going to pretend they're not going to be sleeping together?"_

She ignores him and relaxes into the sofa some more. "They _might_ share a bed… But they'll wait until marriage, and then they're going to give me lots of Grandbabies"

He opens one eye. _"Good luck with that delusion, once they leave…. Just wait for the phone call saying she's pregnant"_

"Can't hear you Lucario, I'm sleeping now"

He shuts his eyes again. _"Well good luck with that… Enjoy the sleep, with three teenagers in the house, two of them sharing a room, there's goanna be a LOT of noise… Especially at night…. I'm getting some ear plugs"_

She begins to drift off into a nap. "Wake me when Lily's ready to go…"

* * *

In Lily's room, Chatot has abandoned his fight with his mirror. He's now covering his head with his wings and looks to be in extreme pain.

A horrific sound is echoing through the room, it sounds worse that nails being scrapped across glass panes.

"We gotta hold on to what we got, it doesn't make a difference if we're naked or not~" Lily sang from the shower.

Chatot turns around to the main trunk of the tree, he scoots closer to it. _"Lily please, I'm a bird, I have a VERY small brain and it's about to explode! YOU CAN'T FUCKING SING!"_

She abruptly stops singing. "Fuck you Chatot. If you don't like it, shove your head up your ass so you can't hear it" She resumes singing her song, her voice is the stuff of nightmares.

He starts hitting his head against the tree in an attempt to block out the horrible noise she's making. _"EAR PLUGS! EAR PLUGS! MY KINGDOM FOR EAR PLUGS!... I DON'T EVEN HAVE EARS! HOW THE FUCK CAN I BE TORTURED LIKE THIS?!"_

Lily ignores his comment and continues to sing. "We're half way there… WOAH! Living on a prayer! Take my hand, we'll make it I swear~"

Chatot stops banging his head. _"Lily you can't fucking sing! Why don't you understand that?!"_

Lily stops singing so she can give Chatot a piece of her mind. But before she can, her bedroom door opens and a large red chicken like Pokémon pokes his head in. It's Blaziken, Lily's starter Pokémon.

Blaziken's face is host to a look of annoyance. _"Chatot! Shut the fuck up! Delia's trying to take a nap. I'd never be surprised if the entire city can hear you squawking….. For fucks sake already, just shut your fucking beak"_

Chatot turns around to look at Blaziken; he flaps his wings furiously and hovers in the air slightly. _"MAKE HER STOP! PLEASE MAKE HER STOP!"_

Blaziken stares at Chatot curiously and draws a smirk. _"She's singing again isn't she? Lily you are a trainer, who wants to go pro, you aren't a singer…. Get used to it"_

"Blaziken, I'm happy and I sing when I'm happy…. A noisy Lily is a happy Lily" She said happily.

Chatot stops flapping and drops back down onto his perch. _"Yeah, and a happy Lily is an UNHAPPY EVERYONE ELSE!"_

He turns his attention back to his mirror; he spies his reflection once again. He puffs up his feather and glares at it angrily again. _"What are you doing back here? I keep telling you this is MY tree, GET YOUR OWN!"_

Blaziken rolls his eyes. _"I thought you were going to explain the whole mirror thing to him?"_

"Why would I do that? It's hilarious"

Chatot angrily glares at his own reflection. _"Listen buddy, I have giant chicken at my disposal, he WILL eat you if I give the order"_

* * *

Back in the living room, Lucario is still sitting on the sofa; Delia is napping next to him.

He's carefully thinking about what he saw yesterday, he saw something that the others didn't. His eyes are closed; his paws are still locked together and are being held in front of his face.

No emotion can be seen in him, he looks perfectly calm. This is the skill of a master of meditation, the ability to meditate no matter where you are or what's going on around you.

" _I know that mark… It's the mark they use when they have their eye on someone. That could mean they've either marked him for death, they want him to become one of them…. Or worse…. Much worse"_

Chatot squawks loudly, causing Delia to stir slightly. _"That was not a fresh wound either, that's been there for years… Such a mark cannot be caused by a mere drone; one of their best has their eye on him…. Out of all the scenarios that mark could mean, the one that frightens me the most….. Is the one regarding the Beast"_

" _I have a horrible feeling that it still lives… If it does, then I think I know why Red was marked….. How has he been able to resist for so long? Either, his power has grown exponentially over the past decade and he's been able to keep the darkness at bay….. Or he hasn't had to resist it, they've been simply biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to use the power locked away inside that mark….. Either way, I'm not happy"_

The sound of Chatot attacking his mirror once more echo's through the room. Lucario sighs. _"When is Lily going to explain that's his reflection? It was funny for a while, but now it's just sad"_

* * *

Over at the Yvonne household, Serena and Red are about to leave for Lumiose city.

The garden has been restored to its former glory, all evidence of Eis and the battle have been erased. It actually looks better than before Red and Eis turned it into a warzone.

Serena awoke to find herself in bed, while this wouldn't normally be an issue, she distinctly remembers dragging Red up there with her. After a brief search for _evidence_ of their nocturnal activities, she gave up and accepted that it was nothing but a dream.

She quickly joined Red out in the garden, marvelling at his handiwork. She noticed that he had crafted a dressing to cover his wound.

It looks just like the one he made for her when they were kids, only this one has been completely covered by Tommato berry pulp. The pulp has hardened, forming a waterproof, rock hard, clear red shielding.

She immediately noticed the other effects of his fight last night; all that fighting had him sweating like a pig. He absolutely stank.

She made him take another shower, after much moaning and complaining about having to bathe twice in the same week; he finally admitted that he _might_ stick slightly.

While he was cleaning himself up, Serena took the chance to pack her backpack and prepare for their journey, a mixture of emotions were flowing through her. On the one hand she's about to start a new chapter of her life, one that includes the man she loves… On the other, she's leaving her home behind, taking Sliggoo away from the only home she's ever known and is about to begin wandering the region….

These thoughts quickly fell out of her head though, when she saw Red in his new clothes… Thoughts of him _not_ being in them took their place.

* * *

Red's wearing a black tank top, with a red and black jacket over it. The main body of the jacket is red, it _did_ have red shoulder sleeves, but Red ripped them off… He doesn't like sleeves. The jacket doesn't have a collar to speak of; the zipper has a black stripe down either side of it.

He's also got a pair of black cargo pants with large side pockets, he moved his Pokéballs so they're attached to his new belt. Along with a pair of black fingerless gloves, they have no fingers whatsoever. Finally, he's wearing a black sleeve over his mark; it starts below his elbow and ends just above his mark. He needed something to hide it from sight.

Serena and Shauna tried to get him to get some shoes along with socks, but he flat out refused to even entertain the idea.

He's also got a beige backpack; it has four pockets on it. Two small ones on either side, along with a very large one which makes up most of the backpack and a small one at the very front, this one is different from the others as its waterproof.

He stored the remains of his photo in that section, just in case… Sometimes it helps to be a little paranoid.

 **(A/N It's similar to his design from the anime, but not quite the same. I put a touch of my own flare in it. As for the sleeve, think of a tubular grip you put over an aching joint)**

* * *

Charizard is standing before the tree; both Red and Serena are sitting on his back.

Red's in the front, his feet are planted firmly in Charizard's shoulders. He's pocketed his dead hand to stop it from flailing around.

Serena's sitting right behind him, but in front of Charizard's wings. She's holding onto Red tightly, she doesn't like to admit it, but she's scared she's goanna fall off.

Her face has fear written across it, but a light blush is also taking residence there. Mostly because she's so close to Red, in the presence of others….

Blade was returned to his Pokéball earlier, so that his presence wouldn't slow down their journey to the city, he's very eager to meet the legendary Lucario in person.

Alex, Grace and Shauna are standing before them, each of them is experiencing mixed emotions about Serena leaving with Red.

Grace has tears in her eyes, her baby girl's all grown up and is about to go on her first journey…. Pride swells within her, as well as a hint of fear. "Serena, _please_ don't give me a call telling me I'm going to be a Grandmother…. Not yet anyway, get a ring on your finger first" She thought to comfort herself.

Alex has his left arm wrapped around his wife, trying to comfort her in this painful goodbye. Tears are welling up in his eyes too, but nowhere near as bad as Grace.

Unlike his wife, he's only feeling fear. He's terrified for his baby girl, he knows what dangers are out there, he fights them every dam day of his life… If she stays home, he can protect her. If she's out there, then there'll be nothing to keep her safe.

"All that stands between my daughter and the dangers of the world…. Is _him_. My god… What's worse? Him or people like that Eis guy?" He thought. "Why am I even asking that? Of course it's him. He has a dick… He's goanna try and deflower my baby girls…. WELL I FORBID IT!"

Shauna's standing on Alex's right side, she's nowhere near as close to him as Grace is though. Her arms are crossed and a cocky grin has fixed itself to her face.

She's nowhere near as delusional as Alex is; she knows Red's barely even ogling Serena….. She's the one making all the advances.

Serena's going crazy, it's like a switch has been flicked inside her and her libido has been awakened… There's no stopping a woman who has her eyes on something…. Or someone.

At least she's being sensible; she's protected herself and Red. Without it, one night's bad behaviour can land you with a twenty year prison sentence…You'll be stuck with a screaming shit machine…. Why some people _choose_ to have them is beyond Shauna.

* * *

" _Air Charizard thanks you for your choosing to fly with me. I know you have a choice in flying to wherever the fuck I feel like, and I would like to offer my gratitude for choosing me"_ Charizard growled happily. _"We'll be making direct stops at wherever the fuck I feel like, I'd like to remind passengers that attempting to mate during the flight WILL result in a premature faceplant into the dirt. THAT MEANS YOU BOSS!... Enjoy the flight, boom boom"_

Red slams his fist down on the overgrown lizard's neck. "How many times must you make that stupid joke? You are not an airline"

Charizard cranes his neck around to look at Red. _"Do you even know what an airline is?"_

"That's not the point!" Red shouted in humiliation.

Serena giggles slightly. "What's he saying?"

"He says we're about to take off….. But he always calls himself 'Air Charizard', but he's really the S.S. Fat Ass" Red replied playfully.

She smiles weakly, she realises that she can't put it off any longer…. She has to say goodbye now. She turns to look at the others. "Well…. This is it; it's time for us to leave"

Grace tries to dry her tears, but she only makes them worse. "I always knew this day would come…. But it's harder than I ever imagined. Be careful sweetheart"

Serena smiles weakly at her. "Don't cry Mom, you'll make me cry…. I'll keep in touch"

Tears slowly fall from Grace's eyes. "You better, if you don't call me at least once a week and tell me you're OK, then I'll be _very_ upset with you young lady"

Serena's eyes tear up slightly, she nods her head. "I will Mom…. I promise"

Grace covers her mouth to try and stop herself from balling her eyes out. "Red"

The man in question turns to face her. "Yeah?"

She removes her hand from her face and points it at Red, her hand is shaking slightly. "If you don't take good care of her, forget what Alex will do to you… I will make your life a living Hell" She tried to make her voice sound strong, but it was undeniably weak.

His face turns to a look of seriousness. He pulls his good hand out from his pocket; he clenches it into a fist and holds it over his heart.

Grace slowly lowers her hand and allows a look of confusion to fall across her face, the same thing happens to Shauna, Alex and Serena.

He shuts his eyes and lowers his head. "I swear to you Grace, I will treat her with respect, I will train her to master her gifts, I will never allow harm to come to her…. I will protect her with my life"

Charizard rolls his eye; he mimics Red's actions. _"Well, since he's doing it…. I'll make sure no one harms her, if anyone tries to hurt her…. I'll burn them to a crisp and eat them"_

In perfect synchronisation, they both lift their heads and open their eyes, they're breathing in synch as well, they are of one mind now. "We swear on our blood, our blades and our Aura, that we will keep this oath until our dying breaths" They said simultaneously.

Grace and Alex exchange creeped out expressions…. That's not what they were expecting. Shauna's just as confused as they are. "Is that something to do with being an Aura User?"

Red nods his head. "Yeah, it's our oath….. An oath that we must keep until our dying breaths"

Serena rests her head on his shoulder, her blush worsening with each moment. "He's goanna protect me… I wish he'd ravage me instead" She thought with longing.

Grace nervously swallows and looks at Red firmly. "That's not what I meant…. I meant, you better treat her right, you hear me?!"

Red's face flood with confusion, he doesn't fully understand what she's telling him. Serena understands perfectly… Why did Grace have to go and make her intensions so obvious?

She blushes beetroot red and glares at her mother.

Red's mouth slowly opens, but his confusion hasn't waned in the slightest. "Ugh…. OK. Not sure what you mean… Wait, are you saying be a good friend to her?"

Before Grace can correct him, Serena steps in. "Yes Red that _is_ what she meant" She said quickly.

He relaxes; satisfied that was what Grace meant…. He's so stupid. "You've got nothing to worry about Grace. I'm a loyal man, I take good care of my friends, to the point where there's nothing I wouldn't do for them…. I'm not exactly a nice guy, but I'd _never_ harm someone I call friend"

Grace smiles, she knows deep down that Red wouldn't hurt Serena… But, she can't help but worry about her daughter.

Serena turns to her Dad, despite everything he's done to them since Red came back, she just can't be angry with him anymore. "Daddy…"

He's struggling not to cry, he just can't accept the fact that his baby girl has grown up and is about to leave him…. It's happened…. The day he's been dreading since she was born, he's lost her to another man…

"Serena…. You're my only child, I know I go crazy where you're concerned….. But it's only because I love you so much, I just can't bear the thought of losing you…"

More tears fall from Serena's eyes, this time she doesn't try to hold them back. "Daddy….. You'll never lose me, no matter what. I'll always be your baby girl… But I'm not a little girl anymore, you need to let me spread my wings and fly"

He takes a deep breath to try and calm himself, but all he succeeds in doing is releasing his tears. He just can't accept that Serena's finally grown up…

He wipes his tears away and glares at Red. "You" He spat.

Red glares back at him. "What?" He spat back.

Alex releases his glare and genuinely smiles at him. "Thank you….. Thank you for protecting her for me"

Red drops his cold glare too, but he doesn't smile. "It's because of me that she was in danger in the first place"

Alex shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah, but you set it right. You faced that which you fear, you fought to protect us all….. Thank you"

Red nods his head to show he understands.

Alex points at him sharply. "But don't think this changes anything between us. I still hate your guts"

Red smirks faintly. "Of course it doesn't. The next time we meet, shoot first and ask questions later"

Serena nervously sucks on her lips. "Red, can we go now? Before I start crying like a baby"

He turns back to look at Charizard, he points his finger firmly at the dragon. "Try anything and no one alive or dead will be able to fix what I do to you" He growled.

Charizard cranes his neck around to look Red in the eye. _"Boss…. You wound me with your cruel words. You're the only one who's ever flown on my back, and I've never done anything to harm you"_ He said sarcastically. _"I'm a gentledragon"_

 **(A/N A dragon version of gentleman)**

Red scoffs and raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure you are. Serena he thinks he's a gentledragon"

She giggles at this claim. "Charizard, your no gentledragon…. You shat on Red"

Red smirks. "If you're a gentledragon, then I'm a fuzzy little Pichu"

Charizard narrows his eye and growls lightly. _"A Pichu? Of all the things you could be, why a Pichu?"_

Serena turns to Red and giggles at his comment. "I don't think a Pichu suits you…. With your eating habits, I'd go with Snorlax"

He puts on a playful hurt expression. "You've maimed me with your cruel words" He playfully said.

" _Why must you always steel my jokes? THINK OF SOME OF YOUR OWN!"_ Charizard growled angrily.

Red turns to face Grace, guilt begins to naw away at him. "Thanks for everything Grace; I'm truly sorry for the trouble I brought to your door"

She shakes her head at him. "Don't worry about it, Alex deserved the punch anyway….. Just take care of her for me"

He places his fist over his heart again. "I swear I will"

Charizard slowly raises his wings up high; he stretches them out to make the blood flow through them once again. _"I am goanna make your bitch ass pay… The moment we see them, you're gonna regret every injustice you have done to me"_ He thought.

* * *

Over in Lumiose city, the Ketchum's have finally left their apartment. They're walking through the bustling streets of the glorious capital of Kalos.

The great glass Lumiose tower stands strong, each window is perfectly clean, not a spec of dirt clings to any of them. How could they possibly be so clean?

The Ketchum family is quickly making their way to the front of the Lumiose tower, they're too early for Red and Serena, but they'll find something to do in the meantime.

Lily struts through the bustling streets, subtly wiggling her hips with each step. There are countless eyes firmly glued to various parts of her anatomy, most of them fixed firmly on either her chest or rear.

Chatot is sitting on her left shoulder, casually squawking various obscenities at passers-by. _"What? You never seen a chic with a bird on her shoulder before? TAKE A PICTURE UGLY, IT LAST'S LONGER! There ARE other parts of her to stare at you know"_

Delia's walking alongside her; she's giving out apologetic looks at those Chatot insults. "Lily, I thought you were going to teach him _not_ to swear at people"

Lucario is steadily walking alongside them; he's once again using a Bone Rush attack as a walking stick. _"She did, he's not telling everyone to fuck off, he's just insulting them instead"_

Lily shrugs her shoulder. "Chatot, curb your beak a bit, you're scaring off the hot guys"

He scowls at her and fluffs himself up a bit. _"No, you might like guys staring at you and drooling, but I certainly DON'T like being stared at"_

She chuckles slightly. "Well why don't you do what Blaziken did? Go back in your ball; you're the one who wanted to stay out"

He scowls angrily at her. _"You'd like that wouldn't you? You'd like me to give you free rein wouldn't you?"_

Lily rolls her eyes. "Of course I would, if you weren't here I'd get _so_ much more action"

Delia and Lucario both close their eyes in disgust. "Lily, we don't want to hear that"

" _I'm still harbouring under the delusion that was a onetime thing Lily, please let me live in my fantasy word"_ Lucario said pitifully.

 **Time skip: 15 minutes**

The four of them have reached the front of the tower; there is a large fountain positioned in front of the entrance.

The fountain has white stone walls around its edges, allowing people and Pokémon to sit next to it. The water is crystal clear; people have thrown coins into it for luck. It's shaped and designed to be like the city itself, the walls form a perfect circle and the base is a mosaic, designed to look like the city from a birds eye view.

There is a single water feature in the fountain; it stands in the centre of the water, sucking it in at its base and spraying it out of its top. The flowing water forms an umbrella water display. The fountain is truly beautiful.

* * *

Lily's sitting on the wall of the fountain, her hands are pressed onto the wall either side of her. The tower has caught her eye; the sun's shinning off it.

Delia is sitting beside her; she's holding her own Holocaster, browsing the web to pass the time.

Chatot is flying over the fountain; he's trying to count the number of shiny coins in it, as well as the number of rusty ones…. Yes, he's _that_ bored.

Lucario is enjoying the moment of rest, he too is sitting on the fountain, but unlike the others he's sitting on the wall backwards. His feet are soaking in the water.

While humans aren't allowed to go into the water, Pokémon can do practically anything they want in it. There are a few exceptions; such as Pokémon aren't allowed to shit or piss in it, but that doesn't stop most of them…

Lucario's feet are aching horribly; he's too old for all this walking around. _"Oooh, maybe I should have Delia catch me so I can rest in a nice Pokéball"_ He thought.

The cold water feels nice on his throbbing feet, easing the pain a little for him.

Lily smiles up at the tower, a surge of curiosity runs through her. "I wonder what it's like inside? I don't get it, we've lived here for years and yet we've never gone inside it once…"

Delia diverts her attention from the web to her daughter. "That's because you're always too busy with your training… I still don't understand why you won't tell me his name. What harm could it do?"

Lucario turns towards them. _"She made a promise Delia, she can't just break it"_ He said bitterly, he still holds a deep rooted hatred for Luke and Gallade, even after all these years.

"Anyway…" Lily said slowly. "Why haven't we ever been inside the tower when I'm not training? I don't get it"

Chatot circles around the fountain and swoops in towards Lily. He abruptly lands on the top of her head, and drops his head down to look her in the eye.

" _I wanna go inside the shiny tower too! There's bound to be LOTS of shiny things in there!"_ He squawked rather happily.

Lily's smile grows wider. "You wanna see it too?" She said patronisingly.

He narrows his eyes. _"No shit Sherlock, that's what I just said"_

Both Delia and Lucario chuckle lightly, Lucario holds his right side as he does. _"I'm getting too old to laugh like this"_

Delia turns to him. "Don't talk like that; you've plenty of fight left in you"

He turns back to her. _"No Delia…. I don't….. My time's nearing its end; my bones creak more each day, my feet throb more and more with each step I take…. My breath is harder to draw each day, my time is drawing near. It's OK though, I've lived a good life and I have no regrets… All I want is to spend my remaining days with my family"_ He said with a smile, despite the grim nature of the subject.

Both Lily and Chatot turn to him as he speaks, both of them know he speaks the truth, his Aura gets weaker each day… It's not a question of years anymore; it's a question of weeks….. Lucario is dying.

Delia checks the time on her Holocaster, to her relief it says 9:15. "Well, we've got another forty five minutes; do any of you want to grab a coffee to pass the time?" She asked to change the subject.

Lucario knows why she said that, she doesn't like him talking about his end. _"Delia, change the subject all you want…"_ He gently places his paw on her shoulder. _"But you can't change the fact that my time is at hand…. I need you all to know my wishes, do what you will with my body… I could care less about it, but my armour and Lucarionite is to be with Master's, here with our brothers and sisters….. That's all I want"_

Delia turns to him and tries hard to smile; all she manages to do is frown though. "Don't talk like that; you'll outlive us all…"

He shuts his eyes and slowly shakes his head. _"A Knight always knows when his time is running out, we may not know if we are going to be slain in battle…. But we know when our bodies are failing us…. I just hope my end, is the end of a Knight"_

He slowly slides his paw off her shoulder and smiles at them all. "Grampa… I understand your wishes, and I will do everything I can to ensure they happen…. Promise"

He smiles broadly at her and nods his head. _"Thank you Lily… Delia, you need to understand our traditions"_

She puts her hand up to his face to stop him. "I know about your traditions, my husband is one of you, remember?" She said bluntly. "He told me all about them, I know what you want Lucario…"

His smile drops slightly at the mention of the man who abandoned his family for no apparent reason. _"Then you understand?"_

She slowly nods her head. "I can't say I agree, but I understand…. If that's what you want, then I can't stop you….. I just hope it's what you get"

"He will Mom…. If anyone deserves to die with dignity and honour, it's Grampa… We take care of our own"

" _Are you all finished talking about snuffing it yet?"_ Chatot squawked.

Lucario smiles up at him and chuckles lightly. _"Well, I can't speak for the others, but I am… Let's get that coffee Delia"_

Lily crosses her arms and pouts. "Yeah, 'cause I _really_ want to go and get coffee with my Mom…. 'Cause I'm actually a five year old girl who needs her Mommy to hold her hand everywhere she goes" She said sarcastically.

Delia ignores Lily's comment and smiles widely. "Well then, where are we going to go then?"

Lily huffs out a breath. "I don't give a fuck… Anywhere will be as embarrassing as anywhere else" She muttered.

Chatot perks up a bit. _"Oooh ooooh let's go to 'The taste of Kalos' they give out free berries with the drinks"_

Lucario smiles wider again, this is what he loves most, just spending time with his family… Doing nothing in particular, just talking and enjoying each other's company. _"Then the Taste of Kalos it is"_

* * *

They travelled the short distance to the coffee shop; Lily tried to walk as though she wasn't with her mother. Chatot once again squawked angrily at anyone who looked at him, even in the slightest.

Lucario's age is showing, he's having trouble keeping up with all this walking. Luckily for him they've just reached their destination.

The front of the shop has a few small glass topped tables with green, metal legs under them. Matching chairs circle the tables, allowing customers to drink in the sunlight.

Lucario stops for a moment and catches his breath; the others turn to look at him with concern. "You OK Lucario?" Delia asked.

He lifts his head and nods it. _"I'm fine; I just need to sit down for a moment"_

Lily turns around to face him properly, Chatot is still sitting on her head, his tail feathers are resting on the top of her ponytail. "Well you and Mom sit down, and I'll get the drinks… You need to rest"

He smiles weakly at her and then nods his head in agreement. _"OK, I give up… I'll rest"_

She smiles slyly at him. "What happened to never surrender?"

He chuckles lightly again, he wheezes out the laughter towards the end though. _"It's taking a nap, I'll be back to fighting you tooth and claw about everything soon enough, don't you worry"_

* * *

Delia, Lucario and Chatot are all sitting at one the tables on the outside of the shop. Lily's inside ordering the coffees.

Lucario is still catching his breath, all this walking around is really taking a toll on him. Delia watches him out of the corner of her eye; he's struggling to take each breath…. Maybe he was right, maybe his time is running out.

Chatot's sitting in the middle of the table, fluffing up his feathers and giving everyone that moves evil looks. He does this by half closing his eyes and leaning his head forwards.

 **(A/N I know it's difficult to picture a bird giving you evils… But trust me, it's possible)**

Delia turns to face Lucario, he looks back at her, he doesn't make the slightest attempt to hide his breathlessness. _"Something wrong Delia?"_

She smiles flatly at him. "I was just thinking…. How will you handle the rest of the day? I want to give Red a tour of the city; will you be up to that?" Her voice is filled with concern for his wellbeing.

He smiles weakly at her. _"You think I'm going to give into fatigue and miss this time with my WHOLE family?... I'm not so old that I can't do a little walking"_

She half closes her eyes and raises both her eyebrows at him.

He scoffs slightly. _"….. I'll ask Lily to transfer some of her energy to me, is that alright with you?"_ He asked patronisingly.

She lowers her eyebrows, smiles warmly and beams at him. "Yes, yes it is. You need to accept help sometimes Lucario, everyone needs help sometimes"

Before Lucario can respond, Lily comes back, carrying a silver tray with three mugs of coffee on it, along with three Oran berries on the side. She sees Chatot and rolls her eyes. "Chatot, must you do that?"

He doesn't give any indication of changing his behaviour, but he answers her regardless. _"Yes. I don't like these motherfuckers… You got the berries right?"_

She places the tray down on the table, almost squashing Chatot in the process. "Yes I got the fucking berries…" She hands a mug to Lucario and then a mug to Delia, before taking her own seat.

Lucario gently sips his coffee; it's too hot to drink right now so he places it back down in front of him. Delia places hers down without attempting to drink it; she can feel the heat through the mug and knows it's not cool enough.

Lily picks her up and takes in a mouthful of it; she likes to drink hers while it's very hot.

Chatot slowly takes Pidgeon steps to turn around and glare at Lily. _"How can you drink it that hot? It should burn your mouth out"_

She puts her mug back down, and picks up one of the berries from the tray. "Shove it" She spat.

" _No. Who is it we're waiting for again? Some dumb fuck you're after again? Or is it –"_ Lily shoves the berry in his beak before he can say another word; she then resumes drinking her coffee.

Lucario raises his eyebrows playfully. _"Well that's one way of shutting him up… Chatot, we're waiting for Red, remember? Lily told you all about him"_

Delia wraps her hands around her mug to warm her hands up. "Serena's coming too"

Chatot pulls the berry out of his beak with a foot and holds it up. _"Oh yeah, I know her… The blonde bimbo who never gets fucked"_

* * *

The wind is whipping through Serena's hair, making it pull back and fly in the air. The wind feels nice against her face, though it does feel strange. It's something she'll have to get used to.

Her arms are firmly wrapped around Red, her head is resting on his right shoulder and her tits are pressed into his back. Her hands are firmly clinging to his chest, partly because she's afraid of falling off…. But mostly because she realised that this was a good chance to get another feel in.

Charizard isn't flying fast; he's barely breaking twenty miles an hour. _"This isn't flying…. Flying's fun"_ He moaned.

Red had him keep it slow for Serena's sake, they normally fly as fast as they can, but she's never flown like this before, so she needs to slowly immerse herself into it.

Red's holding his head up high; he loves the feeling of the wind in his face. When he's flying with Charizard, he feels like there's nothing to fear… He feels like nothing can harm them…. He feels free, just like he always dreamed of.

They're flying up high, just beneath the clouds. This allows them to examine their surroundings, as well as enjoy the bounty of the skies…

Charizard is scanning the ground beneath them, he can see trees for miles and in the distance a small town, Lumiose city isn't in sight yet.

Red's not even thinking anymore, his mind has been freed of conscious thought, like when he meditates.

Serena's mind isn't as clear as his though, it's clouded with fear. Not of falling off, she's clinging to Red tight enough to ensure her safety.

"Red, can I ask you something?" She asked weakly.

He's broken out of his moment of tranquillity by her words. "You've got a working tongue right? Then use it" He said playfully.

She narrows her eyes slightly, as her fear leaves her. "First of all, speak to me like that again and I'll show you why Dad's scared of me when I'm angry"

She knows he meant no harm, he was just having a little fun, but that doesn't mean she can't do the same.

He smiles faintly. "Look at me, I'm fucking shaking" He said playfully.

She digs her nails into him slightly. "You will be soon…" She said with irritation. "When we get there, you're not goanna attack anyone…. Right?" She asked as her fear returned to her.

"Does Charizard count?"

"What? No, I meant you won't kill anyone who looks at you funny… Will you?"

He rolls his eyes. "Nag nag nag… No Miss Yvonne, I won't be a naughty boy…. I won't kill anyone for looking at me… Just for pissing me off, or for trying to hurt us" He said playfully.

After the word 'nag' hit her ears, she stopped listening. She scowls darkly and digs her nails in harder, sending a small wave of pain through him. Not enough to make him wince, just enough to make him aware of what he has done.

"Nag? NAG! ARE YOU CALLING ME A FUCKING NAG?!" She screamed into his ear.

He can feel her nails stabbing into his flesh, it dawns on him that she _might_ have taken is attempt at a joke the wrong way.

"May-be" He said slowly with a hint of fear.

She arches her fingers, making her nails dig into his flesh harder. She turns to look at his ear, she leans in closer, her lips are milometers away from the rim of it. "Call me a nag again….. Do it….. See what happens" She whispered firmly.

He blushes lightly as a faint goofy smile falls across his face, he knows she's angry with him now… Why does that make him feel strange again?

"I….. I don't want to know…" He whispered back.

Charizard growls deeper than before and turns his head around to glare at Red. _"Fucking coward"_

* * *

Lily crosses her arms on the table and slumps down onto them with huff. "It's almost time for them to get here… Can we go now?" She moaned.

Delia rolls her eyes and pulls out her Holocaster, she checks the time, it's 9:45.

"How did you know the time? You don't wear a watch, and you didn't check your Holocaster… How'd you do it?"

Lily slumps back into her chair, drops her arms either side of her and drops her head down behind the back of the chair. "I didn't… It just _feels_ like we've been here forever" She whined.

Lucario puts his now empty mug down; he picks up his berry and takes a small bite out of it. _"Are you embarrassed to be seen with us?"_

She sharply lifts her head up; a hurt expression has fallen across her face. "Of course I'm not…. I'm embarrassed to be seen with Mom" She said bluntly.

Delia smiles slightly and raises her eyebrows in amusement. "Well at least you're honest"

Chatot is still sitting on the table; he's gazing into his own reflection once again. _"Are you following me buddy? You're a fucking creeper aren't you? Look, I don't swing that way OK?"_ He squawked aggressively.

Lucario swallows the last of his berry and sighs. _"Chatot, that's not another Chatot…. It's your reflection"_

Chatot lifts his head up and tilts it on its side in confusion. _"Say what now?"_

Lily sits up properly. "Grampa, I've tried to explain it to him… He just doesn't get it"

Delia pockets her Holocaster once again. "Well maybe we should get going; we said ten o'clock and its quarter to"

Lucario nods in agreement. _"I can feel them, they're getting close"_

Lily smiles broadly and jumps to her feet, knocking her chair to the ground in the process. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" She shouted in excitement.

* * *

They begin their walk back to the tower; Chatot is once again on Lily's shoulder. They're walking a bit slower this time, to make it easier on Lucario.

Delia's face is filled with pure excitement, she can't believe this is happening; her son's finally coming home… Is this a dream?

Lucario's face has even more wrinkles than usual, he's smiling broadly. The fear he felt earlier about Red's mark has been pushed from his mind, there's no room for it right now.

Lily's smiling the most though, she looks like she wants to start sprinting towards the tower, she just can't wait for to see them again. She's not only excited to see Red, but also to see Serena.

She's never seen Serena act like she did yesterday, she's normally very lady like and is opposed to doing anything fun… But yesterday she was acting like a normal teenager, it's really nice to see her let her hair down for once.

Chatot is taking a less emotional approach, he looks _very_ bored.

Delia can't contain her excitement anymore, a question bursts from her brain and out through her mouth. "How close are they?"

Lily shuts her eyes but continues to walk. If she uses her Aura to search out her surroundings and find them, her eyes will glow. While that isn't normally an issue, it would be difficult to explain why her normally green eyes suddenly turned hot pink.

She explores the surrounding area; the entire city seems to be glowing brightly with a rainbow of colours. Most of them are quite weak, looking like dots in the night sky.

It doesn't take her long to find her targets; she can feel Red's Aura easily. She focuses her attention onto it, and in doing so spots both Serena and Charizard's Aura.

Her smile grows even wider, it's been a long time since she felt an Aura that burns as brightly and fiercely as Red's does. "I'd say about another ten minutes…. My god Charizard's going slow"

She shuts down her search, making her eyes return to normal, she opens them once again.

" _Well that does make sense Lily, seeing as how he's carrying two people and one of them hasn't ever flown like that before… If I know Red, he's used to flying as fast as he can with Charizard, but Serena isn't"_ Lucario said.

Lily sweatdrops and scratches the back of her head slightly. "Oh yeah… I forgot she doesn't _do_ fun stuff much"

Delia shakes her head. "Unlike you young lady, Serena _is_ a lady… She doesn't jump into bed with anything in trousers"

Lily stops walking abruptly, crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "Mom, I don't go after _everything_ in trousers….. Only men. You don't see me going after Serena when she wears jeans do you?"

Delia and Lucario both stop and turn to her, Lucario's grateful for the moment's break in pace.

Chatot yawns widely, causing a couple of tears to well up in his eyes. _"How much longer till they get here? I'm fucking bored"_

Delia diverts her annoyance onto him rather than Lily. "Weren't you listening? She said ten minutes"

He stares blankly at her. _"If I listened to half the crap she spouts, my tiny brain would explode"_

Lily glares coldly at him. "You're bored? Go find a young couple to drop the bomb on"

" _Hehehehehehehe"_ He laughed lowly. _"Are you EVER going to let that go?"_

Lucario smiles weakly. _"I wouldn't tell Red about that….. God only knows what he'd do if he knew you went with HIM"_

* * *

The four of them have once again reached the fountain outside the tower; they sit down on the wall once again. This time they have their backs to the tower itself though, their eyes are all firmly glued to the skies.

This time Lucario isn't bathing his feet in the water, he's too excited.

Chatot's no longer sitting on Lily's shoulder, but neither is he flying over the fountain. He's standing on the edge of the wall, bathing his feathers in the water. How he's managed to avoid falling into it is beyond Lily.

Lucario is breathing deeply, he's clearly exhausted.

Delia notices his fatigue. "Are you OK Lucario? You look tired"

He smiles warmly at her to reassure her. _"I'm fine thankyou Delia, to be honest I'm surprised at Lily"_

Lily diverts her gaze from the sky and stares at Lucario with a defensive look. "What'd I do?"

Chatot snorts out a laugh. _"More like WHO'D you do… Or how many"_

Lily turns to him and scowls.

" _Or better yet, who's the Daddy? Mark my words, give it a year and we'll be on some talk show with about six guys, all taking DNA tests to see which one got her pregnant"_

Lucario smirks widely and tries not to laugh, Delia looks horrified, her mouth hangs open in o shape.

Lily snarls down at him. "Washy time Chatot" She grabs his head, lifts him off the wall and dunks him under the water for a few seconds. "Get nice and clean"

He struggles hard against her, splashing water all her jacket. "Lily, let him out this instant. That's cruel"

The teenage girl slowly lifts him out of the fountain, he's soaked to the skin, his feathers matted and clumped together. If looks could kill, then Lily would be dying a slow, painful and humiliating death right now.

" _You…. Bitch….. I'll get you for that"_

Lucario coughs a little bit, Lily drops Chatot down on the wall and focuses her attention him, Delia does the same. Chatot begins drying himself off.

"You OK?" Lily asked.

He clears his throat and nods his head. _"I'm fine… Lily, I'm surprised because you haven't gone crazy yet"_

She looks at him with confusion and tilts her head on its side. "Why would I go crazy?"

He looks at her with a look that says, really?

Delia looks at Lucario with confusion as well. "Why would she go crazy?"

" _You really don't know Lily? I'm surprised at you…. You felt his power yes?"_ She maintains her confused look, but nods her head. _"Well I hate to tell you this, but it rivals yours…. It might even be stronger"_

The confusion drops from her face and a cold death glare takes its place. "You take that back. There's no way he's stronger than me, I train harder than any man here and you know it" She said _very_ aggressively.

Delia nervously sweatdrops, the quickest way to piss Lily off is to call or infer she's weak. While Lucario wasn't doing that, it makes little difference to Lily. "Calm down sweetie… I'm sure Grampa was just making a joke"

He slowly shakes his head with closed eyes. _"Feel it for yourself, this time go beyond the surface and feel his strength"_

She scowls at him, but does as he says. Her eyes shut and she feels out Red's Aura, again it doesn't take her long.

She delves deeper into his Aura and feels for his power. In less than a second, her eyes rip open and return to their normal colour.

The blood slowly drains from her face as a look of horror rolls onto it. "Holy shit…." She whispered. "He's fucking strong, he might just be the _second_ strongest human Knight here"

Delia raises an eyebrow. "Sweetie, there are only two of you here right now…. With Red on the way, that makes three…"

Lily pouts like a child and crosses her arms. "So? I'm still number one" She whined.

Chatot, who has finished drying his feathers now, gives Lily an evil glare. _"Awwww….. Are the big girls tits ruffled?"_ He said sarcastically. _"Get over it, just kick his ass when he gets here…. That's what you do with anyone who says they're stronger than you"_

Her response is to grab him by his tail feathers and hold him over the water again. "Do you want washy time again?"

He maintains his evil glare. _"You even think about it, and I will make sure you never get laid again"_

She narrows her eyes and tightens her grip. "You even _try_ that, and I will have you stuffed and mounted on the wall"

A flash of white light bursts from her pocket and crashes into the ground, Blaziken released himself. He stands in front of Lily and Chatot with his arms crossed.

" _Are you two fighting again? Must I always separate you two?"_ He said with annoyance.

Lily hesitantly puts Chatot back down on the wall, then crosses her arms and pouts. "Just keep an eye open for a flying fat dragon…. Seriously, how could Charmander have gotten so fat?"

Delia shrugs her shoulders. "Red must have overfed him"

Lucario shakes his head. _"Actually, I think he's supposed to be like that… My brother was just like him, physically anyway, besides the scars and missing eye…"_

Lily's interest spikes. "Yeah how did he lose his eye? Must have been in some kind of fight, I'll have to ask Red when he gets here"

Delia nods in agreement. "Lucario, are you sure he's supposed to look like that? He looked overweight to me, Charla's not like that"

Lucario nods his head. _"There's a good reason for that, male Charizard's are far larger than females are… But Charla is a bit of an exception, she's larger than she should be. Trust me, Charizard's about right"_

Chatot fluffs up his feather and glares at Lily angrily. _"Well not according to the dumb ass, you said he called him fat"_

Lily smiles faintly and nods her head. "I think he was just having a laugh, siblings do shit like that"

"Well that's not what I saw" Delia said as she crossed her arms. "I saw two brothers getting along nicely"

They all give her looks of confusion and doubt. "Seriously? Mom we couldn't have seen the same brothers…. Charizard looked like he wanted to hurt Red, badly"

" _Aren't fat guys supposed to be jolly?"_ Chatot squawked.

"Aren't you supposed to mimic, not actually talk?" Delia asked slyly.

Blaziken slowly shakes his head in astonishment, how can they just ignore what he did?

" _Aren't any of you worried about what he did?"_ Blaziken said in astonishment.

Lily and Lucario turn to him with confusion on their faces, Delia doesn't understand him, but she's used to missing out on what he says. "What'd you mean?" Lily asked.

His jaw drops and his arms drop to his sides. _"Are you fucking serious? Are you all just going to ignore what he tried to do to Alex?"_

The confusion drops from their faces. "Is that what's bothering you?"

Lucario shrugs his shoulders. _"Can you blame him? The man threatened him"_

Lily presses her hands on the wall either side of her, leans back and rests her left leg over her right knee. "Alex is an asshole, he deserved a good scare….. If it was me, I would have done _way_ worse"

Blaziken crosses his arms again and slowly shakes his head. _"We all know what YOU would have done…. By comparison, what Red did was an act of mercy"_

Having deduced what they're talking about, Delia smiles warmly. "Well we all know why Alex was doing it; he was just trying to protect Serena"

Lily turns to her. "Protect her from what? Getting ploughed so hard she's sore?"

Lucario slowly facepalms with his free hand. _"Must you refer to the act of love like that?"_

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah… Alex needs to get his head out of the clouds; she ain't goanna stay a virgin forever, not if I have anything to say about it…. She needs to cut loose and have some fun for once in her life"

Chatot flies up and onto her head once again, he drops his head down to look at her. _"You've tried that more times than I can count. She's not interested in throwing herself at anything that gives her a lustful stare…."_ He holds his left wing up and presses his right against the tip. _"She's probably goanna wait until she gets a ring on her finger….. If you like it you should'a put a ring on it~"_

"HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lily laughed hard, while clutching her sides.

She laughs so hard that she falls backwards; Chatot flies up off her head to avoid another bath. In a flash, Blaziken lunges his hand forward and grabs her arm, stopping her from falling into the water.

"Thanks Blaziken" He nods and pulls her back into a sitting position.

Chatot flies back down onto her head again. _"Let me know if you're goanna do that again"_

Blaziken resumes his cross armed standing position. _"Anytime, it's what I'm here for"_

Delia and Lucario smile faintly and try not to laugh at her. "If you want another bath that badly Lily, you should have just said so"

She ignores her mother's comment. "Chatot, there's no way Serena's the kind of girl to do that"

"What makes you so sure? She might just want to make her first time special…. What's more special than waiting until your wedding night, all that longing for each other….. The anticipation building for so long, then you finally release it…. There's nothing better" Delia said, as she thought of her own wedding night.

Lily looks disgusted. "I don't want to hear that Mom… We're not like you, we actually want to live. I'll admit Serena's different; either she has _incredibly_ high standards…. Or _,_ and this what I think's going on, she wants to ride the red dragon rider"

Lucario removes his hand from his face and tilts his head in confusion. _"The what?"_

"Red…. You know, 'cause he rides Charizard?" Lily said with embarrassment, her attempt at a joke was a complete flop.

Delia scowls at her daughter. "First of all, Charizard is orange, not red. Secondly…. THAT'S TERRIBLE! HOW CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN BROTHER LIKE THAT?!"

Lily crosses her arms defensively. "What? _She_ was the one jiggling her tits for him"

Delia's scowl drops and a very happy smile falls onto her face instead. "Yes she was…. And he was such a gentleman… He didn't even notice"

Lucario raises an eyebrow. _"Ugh….. I think he did, but was too embarrassed to say so…."_

Delia turns to him. "Why do you think that?"

He half closes his eyes and raises both his eyebrows. _"Well, he's spent ten years in the wild….. I doubt he's seen many women in that time… He's a teenager, we all know what goes through their minds…. Must I say it?"_

Delia blushes deeply and covers her mouth with both hands. "Oh my god you're right… Charizard even pointed it out to him….. My poor baby…. He's so confused"

Lily snorts out a laugh. "He's not confused; he was just watching her subtly. Guys do that when they don't want to give the game away….. To be honest, I'm worried for him…. To not take her up on her obvious hints means one of two things..."

Chatot rolls his eyes. _"Here we go again…"_

"He's either just as dense as he was when we were kids….. Or worse….. He's never boned a babe before…. He's a fucking virgin at eighteen"

Lucario slowly facepalms, Chatot shuts his eyes and slowly shakes his head, Blaziken facepalms as well. Delia's jaw drops and her eyes shrink in horror.

"LILY! You shouldn't think of your brother like that!" She bellowed.

"What?! I don't want my brother to end up a thirty five year old virgin!" Lily bellowed back.

Lucario keeps his paw on his face and shakes his head slowly. _"Can we please change the subject?... I don't like talking about him like this"_

" _Agreed"_ Blaziken said.

Lily crosses her arms and smirks slyly. "Anyway, there's no way Serena's goanna do what you did Mom…. She wants him _badly_ ….. I know that look she had in her eyes" She said slyly.

Delia blushes lightly again. "Lily, she had a crush on him when you were all kids, I really doubt she still has any kind of romantic feelings for him….. She's just like every other teenager, a raging pile of hormones"

Lucario and Lily share looks of doubt. _"Delia, if the feelings are strong enough, then they won't fade away over time…. Look at you; you still love your husband… Even after everything he's done to us"_ He said the last part bitterly.

Delia presses her hand over her heart, as much as she hates to admit it, she still does love her husband…. Despite disappearing eighteen years ago. "Maybe…" She whispered.

Lily shakes her head. "No maybe about it, Mom her crush never ended. She drives both me and Shauna insane about him, she never shuts up…. I can at least get out of the brunt of it, 'cause I'm his sister… But poor Shauna, Serena _never_ shuts up about him. She makes him out to be a god in mortal form"

Delia scowls, crosses her arms and drops her head. "Fine… If you can live in a delusional world Lucario, why can't I? I don't want to believe that they're….. You know"

"Mom, I guarantee that they will be humping the Hell out each other if left alone for long enough…. There's no point even trying to think they won't" Lily said smugly.

Delia presses her hands onto her face. Lucario scowls at Lily. _"(You didn't need to tell her that)"_ He said to her via Aura Message.

She smirks back at him. "(I know I didn't _have_ to tell her… But this way she won't be shocked when she catches them at it)"

Delia slowly slides her hands down her face; she looks to be forcibly calm. "Well then…. It seems you both think that they'll be together eventually, and since he's been away for so long…. I guess it's my responsibility to tell him about-"

Lily cuts her off before she has the chance to finish her sentence. "OH GOOD GOD NO! Mom you can't give him the safe sex talk, not at his age. You could scare off sex for years"

"Well I'm not going let him give me a phone call, saying he got some girl pregnant!" Delia bellowed back.

Lucario shuts his eyes and slowly shakes his head. _"Delia… Calm down. Lily, don't antagonise your mother"_

Delia scowls at Lily, who pouts again. Chatot leans down to look at her again. _"You just want to humiliate him yourself, don't you?"_

"Dam fucking right I do, if anyone's goanna embarrass him, it's goanna be me" Lily said with a dark smirk.

Delia turns her attention to the skies once more, trying to think of an appropriate response to her daughter's comment.

Before she has the chance though, something catches her eye. Her eyes widen, as a large orange dragon with two teenagers on his back comes into view.

She jumps to her feet and starts frantically waving her arms, calling out to them in an attempt to catch their attention.

The others turn to stare at her, confusion written across their faces. One by one they each spot what she sees, in turn they each stand up and start calling out and waving their arms.

Lily has quickly taken the lead as the head cheerleader for her brother's return, flying through the air with Serena in tow.

* * *

Red's eyes are firmly clamped shut; he's unaware that their targets have already found them. He scans the city with his Aura Vision, searching for Aura's that are above the average strength.

From this perspective, the city looks like a shining beacon of light. Thousands of various colours and patterns are swimming through the city, it's beautiful.

He focuses his search, filtering through the ocean of light to find stronger than average Aura…. To his incredible surprise, there are only two powerful human Aura's to be found.

He recognises the first to be that of his sister, it's easily the strongest in the city, the second is considerably weaker, but it is still strong for a human.

It's a deep forest green, it seems to sprout out and embed itself in its surroundings. Like the roots of a plant that seek to draw precious moisture from the barren earth around them.

"This is a very big place, why are there only two Knights here? There must be a Barracks in a place like this, so why are there only two Knights?" He thought.

Serena's still using her normal eyes, so she can easily see the group down in the city that is trying to mimic a cheer squad. "I CAN SEE THEM!" She called out.

Red opens his eyes, her call breaking him free of his thoughts. He too quickly spots them; it's hard to miss them down there.

A mixture of feelings swirls through him, happiness and joy being the most powerful with pride picking up the rear. A hint of fear passing through him as well, fear that they might do something to piss Charizard off. While Red loves his brother, he doesn't trust him not eat someone who makes him angry….. Quite frankly he doesn't trust _himself_ not to kill people for the same reason.

Charizard is the last to spot them, a dark grin falls onto his face. They're now in sight, and can now bear witness to his revenge.

He cranes his neck around and smirks at Red, Red knows that look. He stops waving and shakes his head violently. "Don't you dare"

" _Payback bitch"_ Charizard growled.

The titanic dragon shifts his weight forwards and re-angles his wings to hit the wind, slowing him down dramatically.

Both Red and Serena lurch forwards, Serena loses her grip on Red but manages to hold onto Charizard.

Being at the less advantages position, Red has very little to hold onto, especially as he only has the use of one arm. Red falls forwards, sliding along Charizard's neck.

He quickly slides off him, acting on his primal instincts; he grabs Charizard's neck with his good hand. Charizard quickly puts an end to this by biting down on Red's side, not hard enough to rip through his clothing, but hard enough to maintain a tight grip on him.

He rips Red off of him and hurls him down towards his waiting family and the fountain.

Serena watches in horror as Red is ripped away from her, unable to support herself from this position, she drops down and clings to Charizard for dear life.

Those on the ground take a far different approach to the sudden change in Charizard. Lily clutches her sides and struggles not to laugh so hard that she falls into the fountain again, Chatot joins her in laughing himself stupid.

Delia covers her mouth with both hands, absolutely terrified for her son. Blaziken tilts his head in confusion, unsure as to why Charizard would do such a thing. Lucario raises an eyebrow in amusement, knowing full well that a trained Knight can survive a fall like this. A faint smirk falls across his face.

Red doesn't waste a second; he flips through the air and extends his arm towards Charizard. The wind is whipping around him, making his jacket fly around wildly. No fear is in his eyes, only irritation.

Various people around the surrounding area begin to notice the events unfolding before them, some of them even pull out various devices and begin to record the man falling through the air.

Charizard folds his wings in and drops down towards Red, his eye firmly focused on his target, he's not finished with him yet.

He reaches the teenager in no time flat; he grabs his extended hand firmly with a dark grin on his face. In a flash, he yanks his trainer towards him and swings him over his shoulder.

With a tremendous pop, Red's shoulder breaks free of its joint. While the bones are intact, they're no longer joined together.

The sound is so loud, that many of those watching the scene wince, knowing full well what caused it.

Charizard turns around in mid-air and snarls deeply. _"YOU FUCKING LEFT ME TO FACE CHARLA! I'LL KILL YOU!"_

Red repeatedly grunts in pain, as both of his arms break free and fail around wildly, he can feel his flesh ripping apart from the inside. With each passing second, more and more pain surges through him. "GWAGH!"

Charizard races towards him, not wanting to allow him the chance to recover. He grabs both of Red's ankles and dangles him down; he turns sharply back towards the city, his latest target firmly fixed in his eye.

Red too sees his capture's target, he feels his eyes widen. "That's the tower from my vison" He thought.

Charizard bolts down towards the base of it, wanting to make this as horrible as possible. _"TRAITOR!"_ He roared.

Knowing what Charizard is planning, Red tries to kick out; all he manages to do is add to his stores of pain. "PUT ME DOWN!"

" _NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

They reach the base of the tower, narrowly avoiding those watching this display of vengeance.

Charizard sharply re-angles his wings allowing them to climb up the side of the tower in mere seconds, but he isn't finished yet. He continues to fly higher and higher, his eye firmly fixed on the clouds above.

They burst through the fluffy clouds of water; all of them feel the rush of cold water splash over them.

The air is dangerously thin now; none of them can breathe properly.

Charizard stops flapping his powerful wings, stiffening them out for a moment instead, allowing them to hover there briefly.

" _I am fire…. I am…"_ Charizard growled lowly.

Red lifts his bright red head up, the blood having pooled in the top half of his body. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!"

The great dragon folds his wings in; gravity pulls his head down towards the clouds once again. _"Death"_

He throws Red back through the whole they made in the clouds with everything he has, the city looks like a toy from a child's toy chest from this height.

"SO FUCKING OVERUSED!" Red bellowed as he falls towards the city.

Serena lifts her head up just in time to watch in horror as Red falls to his death, she doesn't have time to mourn though, because Charizard quickly follows him.

Despite the pain surging through him, Red just can't help but smile. The feeling of the wind against his face is one of the best feelings he knows; when it's this intense he can't help but shout… "WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Charizard is quickly closing in on him; he's close enough for Red to be able to hear him. _"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ENJOY IT!"_ He roared.

"I CAN'T HELP IT! IT'S SO MUCH FUN!"

The almighty dragon spreads his wings wide, both he and Serena lurch forwards as the wind slams into his wings. _"SEE HOW MUCH FUN FACEPLANTING INTO THE DIRT IS!"_

The feeling of joy instantly leaves Red, panic taking its place. "This is either goanna hurt like fucking Hell….. Or it's not goanna hurt at all" He thought. For once he's actually hoping for pain, at least then he'll still be alive.

He rips his eyes open wide and roars down at the massive concrete ground, if he's goanna die he's goanna die fighting.

Those watching him fall to his death cover their mouths in horror, the blood drains from his family's faces, with the exception of Lucario. He's watching the scene unfold curiously, somehow knowing that Red will survive.

Charizard decides that he better catch Red, if he doesn't then there'll be no one to feed him….. Plus he'd never hear the end of it from Blade. He flaps his wings like a mad man, quickly closing the gap between him and his brother.

Red continues to roar defiantly, but he braces for impact. "Shouldn't have left him to Charla" He thought.

The ground is getting closer and closer, its mere feet away from him now. He grits his teeth but keeps his eyes open, he's tough, but even he can't survive a fall from this height. "Oh crap… Wonder what colour the floor will become" He thought.

The mighty dragon locks his claws onto Red's feet and yanks him up and towards him, re-angling his wings in the process to change their direction.

Red watches as the ground moves further and further away from him, he rips his head up to glare daggers at Charizard.

"YOU WANT TO TRY CATCHING ME _BEFORE_ I ALMOST CHANGE THE COLOUR OF THE GROUND NEXT TIME?!"

A mighty cheer erupts from those watching them, his family all release sighs of relief. Lucario smirks broadly. _"I knew it, Charizard wants payback for something"_

Charizard looks down at Red, grimacing that he has to touch Red's disgusting feet. _"How close to the ground were you?"_ He asked with hope.

Red scowls darkly at him. "ABOUT TWO INCHES!"

Charizard turns sharply so they're facing their family. _"DAM IT! SO FUCKING CLOSE TO A NEW RECORD!"_ In a fit of disappointment and anger he hurls Red towards the fountain, this time he's not coming back for him.

Red flies directly towards those he and Serena have come to see, they quickly dive out of his path as he faceplants into the coin filled fountain, getting a mouthful of dirty water in the process.

As he lands, a colossal splash of water soaks everyone in the surrounding area. The young Knight manages to roll onto his back; his arms are sprawled out around him and a steady stream of bubbles leaking from his mouth.

Charizard swoops down and lands in front of the fountain, he stands strong with pride. Serena slowly lifts her head up, her hair is usually very neat, but now it's as wild and messy as Red's usually is.

Her entire body is shaking horribly; her face is flooded with fear.

Charizard growls lowly and very aggressively at the fountain, knowing full well his prey is still alive. _"Never. Leave. Me. To face Charla…. Again"_

Slowly the blood returns to Lily's face, the initial shock having worn off. Now she's just worried about Red being able to get himself out of the water before he drowns….. She doesn't want to make her jacket any wetter than it already is by rescuing him.

Without wasting a second, Red rips himself into a sitting position and squirts out his mouthful of water. His face is etched in blind furry. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER! I'VE ALREADY HAD TO BATHE FUCK KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES THIS WEEK I DIDN'T NEED THIS ONE AS WELL!"

Delia slowly regains her senses, overwhelming relief washes over her. He might be hurt, but Lily can fix that easily. Now she's more worried that Red and Charizard will start fighting again, and this time Serena will be caught in the fray.

Serena loosens her grip on the giant dragon just enough to lift herself up into a sitting position, but she holds onto him tightly with her legs. "Red…. Are you OK?"

The teenager looks at her as if she's mad. "OF COURSE I'M NOT OK! I _HATE_ BATHING AND I'VE HAD TO DO FUCK KNOW HOW MANY TIMES ALREADY!" He bellowed back. "I'M GOANA KILL YOU, YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD!"

Lucario smirks broadly, un-paralleled joy rushes through him. It's like he's been waiting for the sun to rise for the first time after a century of darkness, and it's finally rising now. Granted the sun has turned blue rather than orange, but it's still a fantastic sight.

Lily and Chatot take a less poetic response…. "HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" They both laughed, Chatot laughs so hard that he drops to the ground with a resounding thud.

Blaziken carefully examines Charizard, admiring the raw power flowing through him. _"I've been waiting years for the chance to battle you…. I'm goanna kick your fat ass"_ He thought.

The shock and fear quickly fades from Serena, in its place an incredibly thrill runs wild. "THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME! CHARIZARD LET'S DO IT AGAIN!"

The blood once again drains from Delia's face. "NO! YOU BOTH COULD HAVE DIED!"

Red and Serena both roll their eyes, Red's used to being in situations like this, and Serena's starting to get used to Red being in danger like that.

He takes a deep breath, drops back onto his back and rolls onto his stomach. He pushes down on the ground with the only thing on his upper half that he can control his head. Slowly he pushes himself to his knees….. Only now he has a coin stuck on his forehead.

Lily manages to compose herself just enough to see that he's struggling. "Need some help?"

"Fuck off. I'm still got _some_ dignity left….. I don't need help" His pride never allows him to accept help, even when he truly needs it.

The water is making his clothes cling to his body, showing off his physical prowess. Serena takes the chance to drool over him, longing to see his form first hand.

Lucario analyses Red, taking in just how much he has grown and changed. He looks very similar to what he thought he would, with an exception. He never foresaw Red having a mark.

Beyond that however, Lucario realises that Red's not a little boy anymore…. For all these years, they've all been waiting for their little boy to come home to them… But he's not a boy anymore, he's a grown man.

" _I knew you'd grown Red… Just as Lily has grown. But to see you here, to see you both here… In the flesh….. I'm swelling with pride, joy… And relief….. I just can't describe it"_ He thought. _"Master, I only wish you could see them right now"_

A feeling flows around him, starting at his feet. It swirls around them and his walking stich, passing up his body and around his head. He shuts his eyes and allows this feeling to wash over him. _"I miss you too Master…"_ He thought.

Charizard feels something warm and sticky touch his back, he screws up his face in disgust. _"Drooling is just as bad as matting while aboard Air Charizard"_ He growled.

He shakes violently, hurling the young woman off his back and onto the cold unforgiving ground beside him. Once satisfied that he has been cleansed of her drool, he crosses his arms and sulks like a child who's had his favourite toy taken from him for misbehaving.

" _I'm not finished with you yet Boss….. I WILL have my revenge"_

Having not heard what Charizard was growling about, Red forces his legs out from under him to allow himself to stand in the water. He stumbles slightly, still very disorientated from the fall and sudden "rescue" at the last moment.

The water falls freely from his soaked clothes. "All this…. You did all this, because I did what you told me to?"

" _You abandoned me to face Charla alone"_ He growled back.

"You told me _not_ to interfere…. So I didn't. It's not my fault Charla wants you"

One by one, their eyes widen in surprise. "I guess Serena's not the only one who's got her eyes on someone" Lily thought.

With a resounding huff, Serena stands up and dusts herself down. She pouts aggressively at Red with her hands on her hips. "Well you're certainly not a gentleman"

The man in question rolls his eyes. "I can't use either of my arms, just how do you expect me to help you? With my foot?" He lifts his right foot out of the water and extends it out to Serena. "Fair warning, Charizard says they stink"

" _They fucking do, I can smell them through the water"_ Charizard grumbled.

Serena looks at her secret love with disgust. "OK OK you win… Just put that weapon of chemical warfare down"

He nods his head in agreement. "What's a weapon of chemical warfare? Is it like a sword?"

Before she can answer him, he plops his foot back into the water and walks out of the fountain. Like so many people do, he uses the wall of the fountain as a seat.

He turns to his family, as he looks at each of their faces a strange feeling stirs up Butterfree in his stomach… "Hi" He said weakly.

Looking as if he just announced that the world has declared true and resounding peace, Lily runs up to her lost twin brother and pulls him into a tight hug. Ignoring the fact that he's soaked to the bone, she rubs her face against his, trying hard not to cry tears of joy.

Despite the nature of this warm embrace, Red looks incredibly uncomfortable. Even if he could return the hug to his sister, he wouldn't. "It's nice to see you too Lily… Now let me go, before Charizard gets any ideas"

Delia joins her daughter in a bone crushing family reunion; Red's look of discomfort evolves into an 'I am not amused' look. Despite wanting to join the rest of his family in the warm embrace, Lucario can see that Red isn't enjoying it, so he decides to just let the girls have their fun.

Chatot hovers in the air, looking at them scene with confusion. _"What the fuck? That's the first time I've seen a guy not like being touched by Lily"_

Blaziken can feel Lily's joy through their Connection, though he doesn't need a Connection to know how she's feeling. _"I'll be dammed… I didn't know she could be so happy to see someone"_

"My babies are both finally back in my arms" Delia cried.

Her fully grown 'baby' son looks extremely uncomfortable now; he needs to put an end to this display of emotion. "Mom, I'm not a fucking baby… I'm a grown man, if you don't let me go now, Charizard will either take the chance to attack again…. Or worse…. He'll never let me live this down"

The dragon uncrosses his arms and smirks widely, knowing full well what to do to piss his brother off. _"Does the baby need a hug from Mommy? Maybe Mew can give you a nice warm bath when we get home"_

"SHUT YOUR TRAP YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD! JUST BECAUSE I CAN'T USE MY ARMS, IT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T KICK YOUR ASS!" Red bellowed at the top of his lungs.

The girls hesitantly release their grip on him, but they don't go far from him. Waiting for a chance to wrap their arms around him again. They both start examining him, taking in his appearance. Both of their gazes fall onto his dressing.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Delia asked with concern.

Lucario finally steps forwards. _"Let the man breathe, he's just been through a traumatic experience"_

" _Yeah, the poor bastard got hugged"_ Chatot squawked.

Amused by the parrot's comment, a smirk falls across Red's face. "Speak for yourself Grampa, aside from the searing pain in my shoulder… That was _a lot_ of fun"

Serena nods her head in agreement. "I thought flying was fun….. But _that_ was AWESOME!" She almost screamed like a crazed Justin Beiber fan girl.

Delia scowls with annoyance at her son. He hasn't answered her question yet. She grabs either side of his face and makes him stare at her. "YOUNG MAN! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR ARM?!"

" _Delia, you can't expect him to tell us what happened out here in the open… Let's take them all home, you can grill them properly there"_ Lucario said with pride.

Delia hesitantly releases him and takes a step backwards, she maintains her scowl though.

Red throws his Grampa a look of thanks. He stands up, a surge of pain reminds him that his shoulder is still out of it's joint. He looks down at it, as he does all the others do as well. His hand is turning a very nice shade of purple, indicating that the blood is being cut off.

His arm was flailing around wildly for a long time, the veins and arteries could easily be damaged… Or worse.

The blood drains from Delia and Serena's faces and Lily winces a little bit. "Oh that's not good…." He swallows his pride, knowing full well that he can't heal this injury alone. "Blade, I need help"

Blade releases himself and stands on the wall behind Red, his arms are crossed and he's scowling darkly at both Red and Charizard.

One by one their eyes widen once again, with the exception of those who know Blade already. None of them were expecting him to be such a rare Pokémon, while Lily and Lucario have both seen a Scizor before, they weren't expecting Red to have caught a Pokémon that is rarely seen in the wild, let alone captured.

Charizard looks down at the ground and sulks once again. _"What? I deserve vengeance for what he did to me"_

" _You two are worse than children. What have you gone and broken this time?"_ Blade asked with irritation.

Lucario acts as a translator for their conversation.

While Red has his back to him, he still looks down at the ground sheepishly. "He put my shoulder out again….." He whimpered slightly.

Blade slowly shakes his head. _"Bleeding hearts of the world unite… Master's gone and pissed off Charizard, who broke something again…"_ He said sarcastically.

" _It's not broken you dumb shit, it's just dislocated"_ Chatot squawked.

Blade averts his scowl to the musical parrot. _"And just who are you supposed to be? A snack for Charizard?"_

Charizard lifts his head and licks his lips expectantly. _"Yum yum"_

"Blade just fix my fucking shoulder, it hurts like Hell" Red growled.

In a flash, Blade lifts his right pincer up high and slams it down onto his trainer's head. A loud crack of metal colliding with bone echo's out. "AGH! WHAT THE CRAP?!"

" _Which of us is the trainer here? YOU'RE supposed to be. I shouldn't have to keep you two from killing each other"_ He sighs heavily. _"Get down on your knees then"_

With a grimace of pain, Red drops to his knees and grits his teeth in anticipation of the oncoming agony.

The others watch in a mix of horror and disgust, knowing full well what's about to happen.

Blade grabs his wrist, slowly twists his arm around to face the right direction once more and shuts his eyes. _"Ready?"_

Red clamps his eyes shut and grits his teeth harder. "Just do it" He snapped.

Delia and Serena turn their heads away, not wanting to see the gruesome sight of a man's shoulder being reset, the sound alone will turn their stomachs.

Blade nods his head, then lifts the offending arm up to shoulder height. He slowly, but not gently, moves the free joint around, feeling the subtle grinding of bone against bone.

The young man grunts in agony, the pain he was feeling is nothing like what's surging through him now.

" _You've really fucked it up this time"_ Blade grunted, his eyes still shut.

"SHUT UP AND FIX IT! I DON'T WANT TO SLICE OFF MY ARM BECAUSE IT DIES!"

Blade opens his eyes a fraction. _"As you wish"_ Without wasting a second, he thrusts the joint back into its socket. An astonishing crack crashes against their ears.

Red rips his eyes open, they shrink in agonising pain and a squeak of pain escapes his lips. "Ow"

The red ant Pokémon releases his grip on Red's arm and crosses his own. _"There, now you just need to heal it. I can reset a joint, but I can't heal the flesh"_

The joint has been reset, but the surrounding flesh has been badly damaged. His hand remains a lovely shade of purple; the blood vessels _have_ been damaged badly. He still can't feel his arm; the nerves must be badly damaged as well.

Red continues to grind his teeth, the pain is intensifying. Though the worst pain is weaker, but a horrible stinging pain has taken its place.

Delia turns around slowly; as she does Red forces himself to his feet. "OH MY GOD WE NEED TO GET YOU TO THE HOSPITAL!" She screamed.

"The Hell you will, if you even think of taking me anywhere near there. I _will_ fuck off now, and I won't come back for another ten years!" He shouted back at her.

Serena bolts around and grabs his left ear, to add insult to injury she twists it hard and pulls him closer to her. "The Hell _you_ will, if you even _think_ of leaving again I will hunt your ass down and feed you to Charla!"

Lily smirks broadly and covers her mouth in an attempt not to laugh. "I think she's getting him trained" She thought.

Delia blushes brightly and smiles widely. "Oh I remember when I pulled my husband's ear like that…"

Both of the teens blush brightly, Red struggles hard to resist her, but he just can't break free. Charizard chuckles lowly at their humiliation.

"NO FAIR! I CAN'T FIGHT BACK!" Red whined.

Blade shakes his head once again. _"Mistress Serena, would you please let him go? We need to get out of the open so Master can heal his arm"_

He turns to face Lucario; he drops his scowl and puts on a look of pride. _"It is truly an honour to meet you Master"_

Lucario shakes his head. _"It's no more an honour to meet me, than it is to meet any other of our kind…. The honour is mine Blade"_

Serena pulls Red in closer. "Are you going to behave?"

"YES YES WHATEVER YOU WANT TO HEAR!" He whined in pain once more.

She smiles in her moment of victory, then she hesitantly releases her hold on the sensitive part of his anatomy…. Well the one that's visible.

If he could, he'd rub it to try and stop the pain. But since he can't use his arms, all he can do is shake his head from side to side.

Delia scowls at her son once more. "We are going home now, you are going to fix this problem of yours, then you are going to dry yourself off…. And then young man…. YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLAIN TO ME EXACTLY WHY YOU LEFT FOR TEN YEARS WITHOUT CALLING HOME ONCE!"

He abruptly stops shaking his head and sweatdrops in fear, he'd forgotten just how frightening his Mom can be.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, P. Sycamore's lab specifically, a miracle took place last night.

The Professor has black hair that falls around his head in a random fashion; his eyes are a deep dark grey. He's wearing a deep blue shirt with a very large collar, over the top of that he's wearing a white lab coat. Black chino's cover his legs finally brown loathers shield his feet from the cold floor.

The Professor is standing at the edge of the greenhouse section of his lab, where the Pokémon reside. Several of his assistants are standing around him, all of them holding a device of some kind to record their findings.

All eyes are firmly fixed upon a rather large purple land shark Pokémon with a sleek back fin. She's a Garchomp, and she looks rather tired, like she's been awake for a long time.

She's crouching down and nuzzling a much smaller land shark, this one has only one fin on its head. Unlike the much larger Garchomp, this one has a small notch in its fin.

It's a new born baby Gible, he's so small… Even for a Gible. He doesn't have any pink goop over him, indicating that he hated a while ago, long enough for his mother to clean him off.

Just by looking at them, you can clearly see the bond between the two of them. They can't have been together for more than a few hours, but they've already bonded. Every moment that passes by, the bond between mother and son grows stronger than before.

* * *

P. Sycamore and his assistants are all looking at Garchomp affectionately; they're all very fond of Garchomp. Many of them are worried for her, being a first time mother she's inexperienced at taking care of a baby.

Garchomp licks her baby affectionately, he growls weakly back her with a smile. He's too young to be able to speak, but he can communicate his feelings with squeaks, coos and grumbles.

Garchomp seems to understand him and nuzzles him. _"Mama loves you"_

Some of the assistants take down notes about Garchomp's behaviour. P. Sycamore smiles warmly at his old friend.

"Well it seems that she understands _what_ he is now" He said.

"Yes, it seems she understands now that she's a mother" One of his assistants said.

Gible squeaks repeatedly at his mother, she tilts her head slightly. _"Sleepy?"_

He jumps up and down on the spot, playfully snapping his jaws at her.

"We'll suspend the Mega Evolution research for now, it's the perfect chance for us to study the parent child bond between Pokémon" P. Sycamore said enthusiastically.

Most of the assistants begin to take down notes on their various devices. "Professor, I think it would be best to give them some time to bond"

The professor thinks for a moment, while they have no way to measure the bond between parent and baby Pokémon, he can't help but feel that the two of them have already bonded immensely.

Still, perhaps a little more time would do them some good. Garchomp might be able to get some sleep then.

The baby Gible opens his jaws wide and takes a big yawn. He sleepily waddles up to his mother and snuggles up into her. Garchomp wraps herself around him and shuts her eyes. They're both asleep in seconds.

P. Sycamore's smile grows tenfold; he's known Garchomp since she was an egg herself, to see her now with a baby of her own… It's a feeling he can't describe. "I agree, some time alone would do them both some good"

They all take one last look at the sleeping dragons, then turn around and walk away. Leaving them to their sleep.

One assistant doesn't leave though, he stays in the room, his eyes firmly fixed on Garchomp. A dark grin falls onto his face, one that spreads to the fresh scar on his cheek.

"Sleep Garchomp….. Soon, you will know power beyond your wildest dreams….. Soon you will be reborn" He thought.

He turns around, his black hair swirls around his head. "Soon… All those in this pitiful city will die" He thought.

* * *

Back in the Ketchum's apartment, a few things have been explained. Red asked where Mimey was, he was hopping to see her again.

The others were confused, they told him that Mimey's on a vacation, _he's_ gone back to Kanto for a week. Red was incredibly confused, Charizard had argued with him that Mimey was actually a she, but was too polite to correct him…. He wasn't happy to find out he'd been played.

After issuing the fire dragon with death threats for screwing with his head, he sat down and finally allowed Lily to heal his shoulder.

He's sitting on the sofa; Serena's holding his "good" arm up so Lily can heal it. Pink waves wash over his shoulder and his arm. He can feel the pain quickly fading away, as the blood quickly begins flowing through his arm once again.

Delia walks back into the room, worry filling her face. "How's he doing Lily?"

He turns to look at her. "Not deaf"

Lily lifts her hands from his shoulder. "He's fine, I've healed his shoulder"

He tries to lift his arm up, to his surprise it moves perfectly. Just like it did before his injury, but there's no pain.

He flexes the arm in question to test its mobility. "Wow… You're actually a good healer Lily, it doesn't even hurt"

He drops his arm to his side; Lily throws him a look of confusion. "What'd do you mean it doesn't hurt? Of course it doesn't hurt, _I've_ healed"

"He's not that good a healer Lily, he can heal basic wounds but the pain still stays" Serena beamed, ecstatic that he asked her to hold him like that…. Even though it was so that he could be healed.

Both Lily and Lucario raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Have you not been training Red? Why can't you heal properly?"

He slowly shakes his head. "I've trained _almost_ every day since I left….. But, I'm not the same as you. Healing isn't my thing"

Charizard's Pokéball wiggles on his belt. _"No you're better at dealing wounds than HEALING THEM!"_ He bellowed with anger.

Delia takes the free armchair for herself; she drops into it and sighs. "How many times must I ask? What happened to your arm?" She asked lazily.

" _Yes Red, I too am interested to know the story behind such a wound"_ Lucario asked.

Lily sits down on the coffee table, just like she used to as a child, she drops her knee over her other knee and presses her hands down either side of her. "Yeah, come on. Did Alex get a good shot in?"

Serena scoffs. "No way, Red killed his gun. You saw it"

"Then why have you got that on your arm then?" Lily questioned.

He rolls his eyes. "Alright, I am _not_ going to explain this… Move your ass Lily, I'll just show you"

"Oh, so you can use Memory Sharing? You better show us _all_ the details Red, no hiding anything interesting" Lily said slyly.

Serena blushes lightly, knowing full well what Lily's hinting at. Red slowly shakes his head. "Hell no. I will not show you everything, only the interesting shit"

Delia looks at her son with a hint of anger. "Oh? And why is that then?" She said sharply.

"'Cause you don't need to see the shopping spree… He means he'll just cut out the boring stuff" Serena said quickly as her cheeks warm even further.

Lily smirks broadly at Serena's blush. "Alright, but if you didn't get a major wound from some awesome fight with Charizard, I'm going to be _very_ disappointed"

Red and Serena exchange looks of worry. "Well…. You won't be disappointed, but you might be surprised" Serena said, her voice cracking slightly.

" _Why's that? Did they actually fight?"_ Lucario asked.

Red sucks on his lips. " _Technically_ yes…. Fuck this, Lily move your ass. It's easier to show you than tell you"

Lily stands up and moves around to the other side of the table, she kneels down and leans her elbows onto the table. "Well come on then, I want to see what was so surprising"

He slowly lifts his arm up, a red hue leaks from his hand and passes onto the coffee table. The light rises out of the table and forms a bubble, they all stare into it, eager to see the memories that Red will share with them all.

The only exception to this is Serena, she knows exactly what happened. She doesn't need to be reminded of the pain Red suffered in the defence of her and her family.

His vision begins with Charla threatening Charizard, when he inferred she was a distraction. The vision is from a first person view, it's like they're seeing through his eyes.

To their great surprise, they can all understand what Charla's saying.

The vision continues, showing Charla displaying to Charizard. They were all surprised that a tree like that could support Charizard's weight; they were even more surprised to hear Charizard's screams of terror regarding Charla molesting him.

Once the vision reaches the point where Charizard becomes possessed by Eis, Lily and Lucario's interest spikes dramatically.

Even though she knows how it ends, Serena can't help but tear up as she watches Red's vision darken when Charizard chokes the life out of him with his tail.

Delia struggles to stay conscious as she watches Red take a punch directly to the face, their jaws drop when he doesn't waver in the slightest.

Lily turns to her Grampa; he slowly shakes his head at her. Telling her to wait until the vision ends.

The vision changes once again, the daylight fades and frost slowly covers the ground and plant life. Lucario's eyes widen in horror, he recognises that power and it sends chills down his spine.

" _Dear Mother and Father of creation above, please let me be wrong"_ He silently prayed.

As Red and Eis fight, the blood drains from Lily, Lucario and Delia's faces. When his sword protrudes from Red's chest, Delia finally gives in and passes out.

Lily bolts her head towards Lucario, who shakes his head stronger than before. She must wait until the vision ends before asking her questions.

The vision ends with Eis changing into smoke, and flying off away from the very weak Red.

Red avoided his mark, not wanting to worry them all with it. Also, he's scared of what his mother would do if she thought he had a tattoo.

Delia slowly rises from her unconscious state; her head lifts of the seat. "I had the worst nightmare, I saw Red get stabbed through the back…"

They all turn to her; none of them wants to be the one who says it wasn't a dream. She silently groans. "It wasn't a dream…. Was it?"

"No. It felt _very_ real to me Mom" Red said bitterly.

The bubble fades back into the table, the light returns to Red's hand. He drops his arm back to his side and sighs. "Get the questions over with"

Lily looks at her brother with fear in her eyes. "Red… Why did he leave?"

This question captures everyone's interest, Serena hadn't thought about it until now. Red has given it some thought, but hasn't been able to think of an answer.

"Fucked if I know" He said while shrugging his shoulders.

" _It seems odd that he would just leave, you were on your last legs, barely able to stand let alone fight…. He could have killed you, why would he just leave?"_ Lucario asked himself.

"What was his name? Eis?... Why did he attack you? What did you do to him?" Delia asked.

"What did you mean when you said he's already killed you?" Lily asked.

* * *

Red and Serena answered question after question about the fight between him and Eis, unable to answer most of them, they were all left wanting.

They then answered several questions about his fight with Charizard, those questions he was able to answer easily.

Lily has come to the conclusion, that Red is as tough as he is dense. "Well it's no wonder you can't heal your arm" Lily said with a smile. "Warriors suck at healing"

He scoffs at her. "Well excuse me for not being a weak ass Mage who can't take a punch to the face. If you live with Charizard, then you have to be able to take a punch"

Lily scowls at him. "Are you suggesting I'm weak?" She snapped.

He leans forward mockingly. "If the boot stinks"

They all look at him with confusion. "Red, its 'if the boot _fits_ ' not stinks" Serena said.

Lily scowls darkly at him. "Take that back right now, or I'll kick your ass right here and now" She said sharply.

He leans back and rolls his eyes. "No. If you're not weak, then you need to prove it to me…. Anyway, I'm a Warrior and I'm proud to be"

Before they can break out into a verbal war, Lucario puts his paws up to silence them both. _"You two can fight later, right now… Lily, heal his arm for him… Otherwise he won't be able to use that arm for a long time"_

Lily crosses her arms, turns to her side and pouts. "Fine" She snapped.

She slowly gets to her feet and then dismantles his handy work. "I think it'd be easier to use a hammer"

Once the dressing has been dismantled, Lily carefully examines the deep wound. "Shit. He got you good"

Before he can respond, she creates a small Aura Orb and holds it by the wound. Instantly thick black sludge begins to flow from the wound, the sludge floats up and into the Orb.

Red tilts his head curiously, Serena joins him. Together they watch as the Orb turns darker and darker.

Delia covers her mouth in disgust. " _That's_ coming from Red? My goodness that's horrible"

After a few minutes, all of the black sludge has left Red's arm and been absorbed by the Orb. Which has absorbed so much poison, that it's turned black.

Red's quickly regaining the sensation in his arm, which would normally be a good thing, but that also means he can feel the pain from his wound again.

He grits his teeth, as the pain returns with a vengeance. "Don't start screaming, it's only a little cut" Lily teased.

" _You_ try having it Lily, see how good it feels for yourself" He spat.

The Orb fades away, taking the poison with it. She holds her hands over his wound, pink pulses gentle wash over his arm. His pain begins to fade, his flesh regrows and quickly nits back together, much faster than it did when he healed his and Serena's injuries.

She lifts her hands away, then takes her seat on the coffee table once again. They all look at the area where the gash once was, in its place a large and deep scar now resides.

"Thanks Lily, I was beginning to worry that I'd have to cut it off to stop the poison" He said.

"You can thank me by answering some more questions" She replied with a huff.

"Yes young man, just _where_ have you been? Lily tried god knows how many times to find you, she said you were probably dead" Delia said.

"Yeah, we know you've been in the wild Red, but just where have you been?" Serena asked with a smile.

He groans and drops his head back. "Oh crap…. How do I explain this?"

" _Just start from the beginning Red, where have you been?"_ Lucario said.

He lifts his head back up. "Well… Geology isn't my subject. But I think it's somewhere between Johto and Kanto"

Lily facepalms and shakes her head. "Moron, its _geography_ "

He shrugs his shoulders. "Who the fuck cares anyway? All I know is that it _technically_ isn't part of this world… That's why you couldn't feel my Aura, because I haven't been in this world" He said casually. "If it has a name, then there isn't anyone who remembers… We call it the Silver Forest"

They all begin bombarding him with various questions regarding the Silver Forest, the most prominent being 'how the fuck can the forest _not_ be part of the world?'

"It'll take all day to answer you… Fuck it, I'm not answering all these questions today… Maybe when we go back I'll explain" He said lazily.

"Wait what? When we go back? Are you going to leave us again?" Lily asked with fear.

He shrugs his shoulders. "I dunno, I'm not Psychic, I can't see the future"

"No, he's not. He promised me that he's going to stay here with us" Serena beamed, much to the relief of the others.

"No way, not goanna happen. I'm not staying here, I agreed to stay so long as we all go on a journey around Kalos, there's no way in Hell that I'm staying here for longer than I have to" He said with crossed arms.

Lily's eyes light up and an enormous smile hits her face. "YES!... Wait, if you're not going back there… Why did you say we're going back?"

He looks confused for a moment, as if the answer should be absolutely obvious. "Why do you think? I'm going back for a visit later and I'm taking you all with me. Mew asked me to come back and finish off some crap, and I've got to bring you all with me"

Lucario's eyes widen in disbelief. _"Are you serious? She wants to meet us?"_

Red nods his head. "Yeah, she told me yesterday just after I tried to kill Alex"

Lucario's breathing abruptly stops, his eyes widen even further. The prospect of meeting the mother of the universe herself has left him breathless. His old frail body finally draws breath again; tears of joy well up in his eyes.

" _My god….. To meet Mew herself…. It's such a rare event, other than you Red, only the human Knight Masters have met her….. To know she wants to see us, it's an honour I can never describe"_

The others are all staring at him with freaked out expressions on their faces. "O-K then… Just so you know, we can't go until the Beast attacks again"

Their faces all freeze at the mention of that name. Lily slowly turns to face him. "Are you telling me, that thing is still alive?" She asked slowly.

He shuts his eyes and mentally kicks himself. "Shit… That could've gone better" He thought.

Lucario gives Red a hard stare, his eyes burning with raw hatred. _"It is isn't it? You failed to destroy it"_ No anger resonates in his voice; he speaks as a matter of fact. It's not a question, it just is.

With his eyes still firmly shut, he nods his head once. "I left so I could face it in battle…. I had no idea just how strong it was, but I quickly learned… I've learnt barely anything about it in all the years I've spent fighting it…. Yes Grampa, I failed miserably"

Serena wraps her arm around his shoulder and gently squeezes him. "Hey, don't worry about it… You tried your best, that's what really matters" She said comfortingly…. If only she knew.

He drops his head down and slowly shakes his head. "No. You're wrong…. No matter how strong I get, it's always one step ahead of me… It's always stronger than me" He said bitterly.

Lucario's fear begins to build, if the Beast is still alive….. Then none of them are safe. A fresh wave of fear washes over him, as realisation washes over him. _"It was one of them all those years ago….. Oh god…. Please say it hasn't"_ He thought.

Lily nervously swallows. "Have…. Have you been…. Can you fight against it now?"

He slowly nods his head. "Yes… But it doesn't do much; I'm just not strong enough to break free. I need more power"

Lucario pushes through his fear and asks a dreaded question. _"Red, please tell me it's not…"_

He slowly exhales, opens his eyes and lifts his head up to look at his Grampa. "We've all known for years that it's one of them…. But now, it's even worse"

The blood drains from Lucario's face, his eyes shrink in horror and he takes a series of short sharp breaths.

Lily slowly shakes her head in horror. "Please don't say its…"

Serena and Delia turn to each other, not liking being out of the loop. "What is it? What could be worse than what it was when you were a child?" Delia asked, not truly wanting to know the answer.

He shuts his eyes, drops his head and sighs. "The Beast…. Is a Fear Master now"

Lily wobbles slightly on her 'seat' struggling not to pass out. Lucario leans on his walking stick harder, as he tries to maintain his standing position. His worst fears have been realised, the Beast just got _a lot_ more dangerous.

Serena looks around at them curiously, not understanding the magnitude of the situation. She sees the looks of horror on Lily and Lucario's face, but she also sees the same look on Delia's face.

Delia's face is as white as a sheet, her eyes have shrunk to pin head size and her hands are covering her mouth.

"What's a Fear Master?" Serena asked curiously.

Red slowly opens his eyes and turns to her. "I'll explain properly once your training begins, for now all you need to know is that our order has enemies…. The worst of which being, The Paladins of Fear. The Fear Masters are the strongest of the strong, the cruellest of the cruel, they have the most concentrated evil tainting their souls"

Red's statement brings both Lily and Lucario back to their senses. "What? You're going to train her?"

He nods his head. "The only reason I'm even here is because my parents think I'm learning to control my Aura, you saw what I did yesterday, well they think Red's training me to control it…. So I don't destroy everything around me" Serena beamed.

Lily smirks slyly. "You sneaky bastard Red…. You tricked them?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Well I had to come up with something. It was the first thing that popped into my head"

" _Well you'll need to get permission Red, did you forget? You can't just take an apprentice, you need to get the permission of the Masters first"_ Lucario said.

He rolls his eyes. "Fuck 'em, I don't give a shit if they say yes or no… As of today, Serena's my apprentice"

Lily smirks and snorts out a laugh. "An apprentice…. With an apprentice… HA! That's hilarious"

A thought crosses Serena's mind, if she's going to become a Knight, shouldn't she know more about them? She doesn't even know what they do.

"Before you get too far ahead of yourself, you haven't even asked me if I _want_ to join" She said nonchalantly.

Delia giggles at the amusing scene. "My son, ever the gentleman… How could you not have asked her?"

He shrugs his shoulders lazily again, these questions are starting to get _really_ annoying. "You said you wanted to learn… So I'm goanna train you to be a Knight, simple as that"

She shakes her head slowly. "Well, if it's _as simple as that_ , what do Knights even do?"

He slams his head into the back of the sofa. "I can't be bothered to explain right now… I'll tell you later"

Delia scowls darkly at him. "RED KETCHUM! YOU DO NOT TREAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND LIKE THAT!"

Instantly Serena's cheeks burn brightly, Lily covers her mouth and tries not to laugh, Lucario grins a little bit. Red looks confused. "My wha? What does….."

As he speaks, he remembers Shauna using the same phrase yesterday. He thinks carefully, then realisation floods through him, and blood floods to his cheeks making them burn brightly.

"YOU WILL TREAT HER WITH LOVE AND RESPECT! DO YOU HEAR ME MISTER!" She bellowed again.

Both of the teens turn away from each other to try and hide their blushing faces, Red's struggling to form enough words in his mouth to deny the claim Delia's thrown at them.

Lily sucks on her lips to try and not laugh, while she wants to laugh desperately; she's enjoying this way too much and knows laughing would ruin it.

Lucario can't take the strain of standing anymore; he finally succumbs and sits down on the ground. _"Ooooh these old bones are creaking"_ He said, simply to break the awkward silence that has fallen across the room.

Truly grateful to the aging Aura Pokémon, both of the bright red teens turn to face him.

Red takes a breath and forces himself to calm down. "First of all, Serena and I are _not_ mates… We're just friends. Secondly…. Can we _please_ change the subject?" He whined pitifully.

Serena nervously nods her head, like her secret love, she too is desperate for the subject to change.

Taking pity on her brother and her friend, Lily decides to ask an important question. "I take it Eis is a Fear Master too? Otherwise I'm going to need to see a shrink about him re-growing his arm"

Grateful for the change in the subject, he smiles broadly at his sister. "Yeah he is… What's a shrink?"

Lucario chuckles lightly, Delia calms herself down, realising that she screamed that at them. "I hope I haven't put them off each other… What am I thinking? They're teenagers, I'll be lucky if I don't catch them at it" She thought.

Lucario chuckles lightly at them both, like the others he's enjoying the looks on their faces. _"Why don't you tell Serena a little about our order Red? Give her an idea of what she'll end up like?"_

Serena's interest spikes, she's desperate to learn more about them. "YEAH! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?!" She pleaded with wide puppy dog eyes.

He really doesn't want to get into this right now, he's too tired to explain it all properly…. But that face is weakening his resolve. He tries to pull his head back, he screws it up and tries to resist. "Aaagggghhhh no… With the face and the eyes" She holds her hands in front of her chest and widens her eyes even further, knowing full well that his resistance is crumbling.

He leans to his left, in an attempt to escape her gaze. She leans in closer and quivers her lips, while whimpers slightly, he screws his face up more and groans. "Aaaaggggggghhhhhhhhhh….. No fair"

While the two of them are doing this, Lily sucks on her lips and slowly pulls out her Holocaster. The two of them are completely focused on each other, to the point where they have forgotten about the rest of the world.

She holds it up and screens the perfect picture of the scene, with dark pleasure she takes a picture. "HA! GOTTCHA!"

The teens break their stance, Serena's really leaning forwards now, she's practically laying on his lap. He's leaning back as far as he can, he's all but fallen off the sofa.

They see Lily and Lucario smirking darkly, Delia's pulling out her own Holocaster. "Lily, send it to me. I've got to print this off and put it in the photo album"

Lily happily obliges. "Hashtag Love is in the air"

Lucario starts leaning from side to side. _"Every time I look around~"_

 **Time skip: 10 minutes**

After a brief argument about the usage of that picture, mostly on Serena's part, Lily posted it on Pokébook with the hashtag… People are already posting comments, most of which are about how fit Serena is. Others are about how much of a coward Red is.

Chatot has decided to abandon his fight with his mirror and re-join the rest of them. He's sitting on Lily's head, scowling darkly at Red.

The conversation has once again turned to the Aura Knights, more specifically the lack of knights in the area.

* * *

Red's leaning forward and scowling back at Chatot, Serena's still sitting next to him, she's mortified about that picture being made public.

"My turn to ask a question, why the fuck are there only three Knights here? Me included" Red asked.

Lily crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "Those Paladin assholes have been getting bolder lately. They've been attacking a lot more, causing lots more problems and generally being shit heads….. Most of us are out trying to fix everything and make the world a better place yada yada yada… You get the picture" She said lazily.

He slowly shakes his head. "Will they _ever_ learn? They keep using the same tactics over and over again… It gets pretty dull eventually"

Lily uncrosses her arms and nods her head in agreement. "Yeah…. They never learn….. Hey, Serena would you like to know about the different kinds of Knights?"

Serena's eyes light up, she nods her head furiously. "YEAH! Wait, there's different types?"

She nods her head slowly. "Yeah…. First of all, there are two different classes of Knights. There are the all-knowing, all-powerful, absolutely pure one hundred percent bad ass Mages… That's me" She said excitedly. "Then you get the dumb ass Warriors… That's the dumb shit sitting next to you" She said with far less enthusiasm.

Serena has her doubts that it's as simple as that, she turns to Red to ask _him_ for a better explanation. He's scowling darkly at his sister, apparently not impressed with how she described him.

Lucario senses the impending verbal conflict, he raises his paw to silence them all. _"Lily, there's far more to it than that and you know it"_

She shrugs her shoulders. "That's about it…. The Mages rock, and the Warriors stink. Nothing more to say really"

He shakes his head in disappointment to his Granddaughters narrow mindedness. _"I'll tell you Serena. There are THREE classes of Knights, although there are only two that are active now"_

Serena leans in closer and nods her head, eager to know more. Red raises an eyebrow in confusion, what does he mean? Only two that are active?

" _The Mages, Warriors and the Shadows. The Mages focus on developing their skills over their Aura, as such they develop various different skills with their Aura and tend to make the best healers"_

Lily nods her head in smug agreement. "We're the best, simple as that"

" _Although, Mages tend to be physically weaker than the other classes. They're very powerful, but they're quite delicate… At least when compared to Warriors"_

Red grins smugly. "She may have strong Aura, but she can't take a punch"

" _Next, the Warriors focus on their skills in hand to hand combat. They focus their Aura into their bodies, making themselves physically strong…. This allows them to wield weapons in different ways to other Knights. Due to their increased physical prowess, Warriors can take a lot more hits than any other Knight"_

Lily narrows her eyes at her brother. "Yeah, they've got no brains so they can take god knows how many whacks to the head without losing brain cells… Not that they had any to begin with"

" _Finally, the last Class of Knight is the Shadows-"_ Lily interrupts him.

"Why bother talking about them? They're long dead" She said lazily. "The Paladins hunted them down and killed them all…. Poor bastards"

Without thinking, Red points his finger at his sister. "That's a lie, they're not gone. Serena, they use their Aura to change their physical appearance… They ugh… Change the flow of light….. To make themselves hidden from sight" He said with difficulty, as though he was simply repeating something he heard a long time ago.

Both Lily and Lucario's interest spikes, he holds his paw in front of Lily allowing him to finish Red's statement for him. _"They used their Aura to refract the light around them, creating the illusion of being translucent… They were masters of stealth, some were even able to make their Aura difficult to trace…. They were our eyes and ears, since their loss we have been blinded and deafened"_

Red looks like he's trying to think, he shuts his eyes to block out external distractions. "The ultimate feat of a Shadow…. Is to become invisible, not just translucent or hidden, but truly invisible"

Lucario lowers his paw and tilts his head curiously. _"A feat, not accomplished by many…. True invisibility is supposed to be incredibly difficult to achieve"_

Serena looks mesmerised by the rush of knowledge, as well as the conflicting opinions about the Shadows. Red seems to know more than he's letting on.

"The fuck're you talking about Red? The Shadows are dead, long gone. Deadified, past it. Dead and buried in the past" Lily said definitively.

Lucario nods his head in agreement. _"While I'd not use that terminology, I agree that they are gone. I've lived a long time, as did my Master. Neither of us has ever laid eyes on a living Shadow, what makes you think they're still alive?"_

Red looks like he's just released a giant Kraken from a tiny pickle jar, he slumps back into the sofa and twiddles his thumbs. "I know they're being hunted….. There might only be one left, I don't know….. But I know for a fact that there's at least one….. At the very least, there's one left" He mumbled.

Lily narrows her eyes and leans forward, drilling her eyes into his, cracking his mind open and scooping out the knowledge inside like ice cream. "How do you _know_ there's a living Shadow out there? Have you ever met one?"

He slams his eyes shut, knowing that she's looking at them to see if he's lying. "SHIT! YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER! YOU WERE GIVEN ONE FUCKING JOB AND YOU SCREWED IT UP!" The voice in his head screamed.

He wiggles his lips around, like he's chewing his tongue. "I can't say anymore….. I'm sworn to secrecy"

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU IDIOT! NOW THEY KNOW YOU KNOW HIM!" The voice screamed again.

Serena smiles fiendishly, the rush of knowledge is nothing compared to grilling Red for information. She'll have to do this more often. "That means you _have_ met a Shadow, why else would you be sworn to secrecy? Did they make you swear?"

"IDIOT! DOPE! MORON! HE'S GOANNA KILL YOU FOR SPILLING THIS ONE! OR WORSE, THE SMALL FRY WILL _FRY_ YOU AND FEED YOU TO CHARIZARD!" The voice screamed again.

Lily smirks broadly, knowing that there is a Shadow out there sends shivers down her spine. She jumps to her feet in excitement, grabs Red's jacket and pulls him in closer. "Please tell me he's a guy! A Shadow would be _so_ exotic!"

Red keeps his eyes firmly shut, he turns his head away and winces. "I've said too much already… I can't say anymore"

* * *

Elsewhere, Lumiose city is just coming into view. The sunlight is being reflected by the various windows and mirror like surfaces, making the entire city shine brilliantly.

A man slowly dregs towards the city, fatigue is setting in, making his body weakening more and more with every step.

Sitting on the man's shoulder, is a small yellow rodent like Pokémon with a lightning bolt for a tail. Pikachu's taking advantage of the best part about having a trainer, not having to walk everywhere.

Pikachu turns to his partner. _"We're almost there now, just keep walking…. I know this is a big strain on you, but we can't risk someone seeing us….. Soon we'll reach the Barracks, we can rest and resupply there"_

The man turns his head to look at his faithful partner mouse, his first Pokémon and closest friend in this world or the next. Without saying a word, a shiver runs down his spine.

Pikachu tilts his head curiously. _"What's wrong?"_

Again without saying a single word, the man turns towards the city and narrows his eyes. Sensing something that sends fear flooding through his entire being.

Pikachu slowly shakes his head. _"You're just being paranoid again… Trust me, it's going to be nothing, just like the last time you 'sensed' something"_

The man shakes his head once, a strong sense of fear flows through the air around him and through his raven black hair that stops around his ears.

"Someone's after my nuts" His voice is strong, but also gentle. It hits your ear like a giant tidal wave that has been condensed into a raindrop. This man gives off a vibe of control.

* * *

Back in the city, the Ketchum's living room to be exact, Lily is once again grilling Red.

"You call yourself 'The Invincible Monster of the Forest'? You're an egocentric asshole" She said with a smirk.

He shakes his head. "No, _they_ call me that. I call myself a monster"

Concern for her son's wellbeing runs through Delia, why would he call himself something like that? "What do you mean? Why do you call yourself a Monster?"

He shuts his eyes and shakes his head. "Trust me, you don't want to know" His voice echoes pain, suffering and fear. He contemplates the reason for the label, Monster… While he has never actually done anything to warrant such a name, he knows that he deserves it.

A memory passes through his mind, he smells the world around him burn… The smoke assails his nostrils. The feeling of scorched earth passes against the soles of his feet.

The taste of blood flows through his lips and crashes into his tongue. His vision darkens, blinded by smoke as black as night. The cries of the dying shatters the peace of the silence, stabbing into his ears. Each cry makes him die a little inside…. Knowing the _he_ caused all of it…. All of this death and destruction was caused by him…. He's a monster.

For the rest of them, awkward silence is the only sound. Serena's the only one to see the pain being reflected by Red's eyes; wanting to distract him from the last question she gently nudges his arm.

"Hey, tell them about the babies back home, they'd like to hear that" She said comfortingly.

Her voice brings Red back into reality, he forces the memory back deep down inside of him, he can't afford to think about it now. He nods his head in agreement. "Why not"

The rest of them throw him looks of complete and utter confusion. "Please tell me you've not got a girl up the duff…" Lily pleaded.

He throws her a look of confusion, not understanding the terminology in the slightest. Ignoring her, he begins to explain to them all what he does back home.

He tells them all about the orphaned baby Pokémon, he tells them what he told the others, he even tells them about Nibbler, the first baby he rescued.

Delia smiles weakly with tears in her eyes, indescribable joy and pride swirls through her soul. _Her_ son is so kind, to take on babies that aren't his own… A thousand poets that wrote for a thousand years couldn't come close to describing how she feels right now.

Lucario is quite surprised by such kindness in Red; in the vision Red was a man who only took care of his own… He certainly wouldn't take on other people's responsibilities, such as their young.

This isn't an unwelcome surprise though, quite the opposite. He always feared how Red would turn out, having to endure so much pain, having to be face more in the most vulnerable time in his young life, than most people will ever face in their entire life.

But, it seems his fears were unfounded. Red has definitely grown differently than the vision showed, that could either be a good thing…. Or a very bad thing. Only time will tell.

" _That's a very noble thing you do Red…. To help the weak and defenceless when they need it the most. I'm very proud of you my son"_

Lily's looking at her brother with extremely wide eyes, they look like they're going to pop out of her head at any moment. How could he be so stupid? Why would he take on other people's problems? They're not his kids, why should he have to deal with them?

"Are you mad?! Why would you _deliberately_ lumber yourself with screaming shit machines?!" She almost screamed at him.

Red narrows his eyes at her, a dark scowl falls across his face. What right does she have to question him? It's his life and he can do whatever the fuck he wants with it, she has no right to tell him what he can and can't do….. She's made a colossal mistake, no one insults the babies, they can't defend themselves and it's _his_ job to keep them safe.

Knowing that Red won't like Lily's comments regarding the baby Pokémon, Serena decides to defuse the situation and prevent him from bombarding his sister with a tongue lashing.

"You sound just like Charizard" She giggled nervously.

Like Serena, Delia can also see that Red's getting angry with the young blonde. Knowing that she will likely continue to wind him up, she decides to put an end to it. "That's enough questions for now, Red sweetheart, I'm going to give you a tour of the city~" She sang.

He turns to her and raises an eyebrow at her. "What the fuck?"

* * *

Making good on her promise, Delia took them all around the city, giving them detailed information about every little thing…

Some of the things her tour included, where the hospital, the Pokémon centre, the Lumiose Press….. And the crazy lady who lives behind the Pokémon centre's dumpsters.

Neither Lily or Serena is very interested in this tour, they both want to go and explore on their own… Each for their own reasons of course. Lily simply wants to spend some time with her brother, parkoring their way around the city, seeing it the way only the flying Pokémon can…. But _nnnooooo_ they have to follow Delia around all day….

Serena's taking the tour a different way… She appreciates that Delia just want to spend time with her son, but she really just wants to be alone with Red herself.

She's been dreaming of a chance like this for years… She's in the most romantic city in the world with her secret love…

She could show him the city's best restaurant; treat him to a candle lit dinner with romantic music playing the background. She could even feed him herself…. Gaze into his eyes and the taste presses into his strong pallet, he probably hasn't had a romantic meal…. Ever.

She could be the first to show him what romance is, he'd be so innocent… She could teach him how to act… He'd learn quickly, and then he'd make her feel so special…

He'd make her feel beautiful; he'd compliment her clothes… Her make up… Her eyes….. Who cares if it's cliché? She's always wanted him to make her feel beautiful… She'd blush of course, and then she would tell him how handsome he is…

He'd probably blush too, then… The real fun would begin… He'd nervously take her hand in his own, making them both turn red… She'd make a joke about his face being the same as his name.

He'd tell her that there's something he's always wanted to tell her… She'd say the same to him, and then they'd both just shut up…. He'd gentle hold her face with both of his hands, and pull her in slowly for their first kiss…. Their lips would finally meet; time would slow down as the two of them become one…

He might even open up a Connection with her right then and there…. Then, they'd have to end their kiss… But it wouldn't be the end, he'd ask her to be his girlfriend…. Of course she'd say yes, then he'd drag her to a hotel and make sweet, beautiful love to her….. Their dormant passions would finally be ignited, in a flurry of love and passion they'd truly become one.

Her favourite fantasy is finally within reach….. IF ONLY THEY WEREN'T STUCK IN THIS STUPID TOUR!

Delia turns to her only son, her face host to a colossal smile. Nothing could possibly weaken this smile; nothing could possibly ruin the joy she's feeling…. Except the look of disgust etched on his face.

He looks like he's going to puke; he seems to be absolutely horrified by everything he's seeing. It's like he's trapped in a horror movie where people have to mutilate themselves to be able to survive.

"Red? Is something wrong?" She asked, only half wanting to know the answer. She's trying her best to make the city interesting to him, when he was growing up in Kanto he never once went to a big city; he says he's been living in a forest. He's probably never seen a city before.

He rolls his eyes towards her, his look of disgust still firmly fixed on his face. "Yeah, there is. I hate this place" He said bluntly.

The crestfallen Delia lowers her head, she knows the tour isn't particularly interesting, but she's trying her best. She's shown them plenty of interesting locations, she's even shown them the crazy Meowth lady.

Surely the tour doesn't warrant his hatred.

The tiring Lucario has a thought as to why Red feels such negativity for a place like this, it's completely different from what he's used to. People have a tendency to hate that which they don't understand, the confusion and fear of the unknown drives the beauty from that which they don't understand.

It drains everything that could possibly be considered kind, compassionate and gentle from thought, leaving nothing but the fear, hatred and prejudice behind.

" _Red, I know this isn't what you're used to, but you need to give it a chance. Don't condemn that which you don't understand my son"_ He said compassionately.

The young man stops dead in his tracks, formulating his thoughts. The others all stop as well, the girls are grateful for the injection of interest into this boring tour.

"Don't condemn what I don't understand? You think I don't know what this place is? I haven't ever seen a place like this, but I know exactly what it is…. I know exactly what humanity has done to this place…" He said bitterly.

"Places like this are born from the hands of man, this place isn't natural. Man made this to try and separate themselves from the 'lesser' creatures that they deem beneath them. They created a vile concoction that kills nature and allows them to build on her corpse. They ripped the life out this place and used their own filth to create a 'home' for themselves" Red said with a knowing tone. No malice is in how voice, he's not questioning anything, he's simply stating a fact.

Impressed by the sudden change in him, Lily and Serena both focus their attention on him. Lucario tilts his head curiously, he may have misjudged Red.

"But they're wrong… They think they've separated themselves from nature with things like this, but all they've done is create a metal and glass version of it. These tall things…" He said while gesturing towards the tower. "They're nothing but giant metal trees… They offer no more protection from the elements than the tree tops do. All they do is make egocentric humans feel more important than their fellow man and Pokémon"

They all turn to look at the tower, one by one they begin to see what Red's talking about. The tower _is_ just a glass tree; the structure is similar to that of a tree. The main body of the tower is basically a shiny tree trunk; it stands tall and supports the weight of those inside it. The circular top is the same as a tree top, casting a large shadow down upon the ground, shielding people and Pokémon alike from the harsh sun light.

The more Red speaks, the more they see what he's talking about.

"Places like that are created for a single purpose, to make humans feel superior to Pokémon. They've all forgotten that we were once the same as them, they've all forgotten that we are all brothers and sisters in this harsh, merciless world…. They fight over who has the biggest….. Whatever that is. They all via to be the best, they all want to be the Alpha. Instead of fighting each other for the mere title, they just kill nature and build things like that to try and assert their dominance over each other" This time, his voice is filled with bitterness.

Lily scowls up at the tower, she's always been in tune with nature, but she's never thought about what he's saying before. At first she struggled to find her way around and adapt to this place, over time she grew to understand it and quickly grew to love it.

Now that she thinks about it, places like this are built, they're not natural. To allow for the creation of a place like this, nature must first be destroyed. To allow for the creation of manmade structures, whatever was there first must be ripped out… The more she thinks about it, the more she realises that humanity is extremely cruel.

"Cities" The word seems to leave a bad taste in his mouth. "Are created to house humanity, but we'd be much better off living in places like my home… I've survived for this long, the rest of humanity can to" He turns to face the well-aged Pokémon. "Next time, don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about…. Just ask me if I know" He said with a smile.

Lucario and Delia are speechless; they never even began to fathom just how deep Red could be. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed, and seeing as how he never went to school, how could he possibly form such poetic words?

"I….. See" Delia said slowly. "You really don't like cities do you?"

He shrugs his shoulders lazily. "Hey you think I'm bad, you should hear…. _Her_ rant about cities, how'd you think I know this stuff? She _really_ hates cities" He said with a worried smirk.

Lily and Serena's looks of impression quickly drop from their faces. Disappointment take its place, it seems Red didn't think of that long rant, he just heard Mew say it.

Tension quickly builds between them; Red lazily crosses his arms and smiles flatly at them. "I can't help it; I'm just not comfortable in a place like this"

Delia slowly turns back to her son, all she wanted was for them all to spend some time together, as a family, before her children leave her again….. But it's clear Red isn't interested in that.

He turns back to the tower and tilts his head in curiosity. "Any chance we can go there? I'd like to see the view from up there… Without the fear of smashing into the ground and dying" He said with a smile.

* * *

Serena makes her way from the gift shop, towards the observation platform on the outside of the tower. She was expecting the Lumiose tower to be very crowded, but it's relatively clear.

There are a couple dozen people on this level of the tower; most of them are either in the gift shop or on the viewing platform, giving the main room an eerie emptiness.

A set of glass double doors leads to the outer level; she passes through them and walks out into the sunlight. It takes her a moment to adjust from the change to natural light, but then the people she's searching for become visible.

Red and Lily are leaning over a glass fence, soaking in the glorious view of the city beneath them. Lily's eyes are sparkling brilliantly, this view is even better than she ever believed it could possibly be…. Words can't describe the beauty of the sparkling mirror like city beneath them.

Red's smiling at the sight, he's nowhere near as enamoured with it as Lily is, but he thinks it's beautiful none the less. "OK… I admit it, this is nice"

Lily turns to her brother, the once sparkling orbs she had for eyes are now filled with nothing but shock. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!"

He turns to face her. "What? I said it was nice"

She grips the glass railing as hard as she possibly can, she clings to it for dear life. "Exactly…. You said it was nice…. This view is nothing short of miraculous!"

He shrugs his shoulders once again. "I've seen better… You think this is nice? You should see the views back home"

Serena slowly walks up to the arguing twins, rolling her eye as she does. "Another fight? How many times have you two argued today? I've lost count"

The twins turn to face her, as they do their eyes are drawn to a small object in her hand.

She sees where they're looking, and holds it up higher to make it easier for them to see. "Like it?" She asked with hope.

Red tilts his head to the side, vaguely recognising the object in her hand. Lily looks at her with confusion. "Why are you holding a book?"

Serena's holding a small black leather book; silver thread has been stitched into the cover to form a picture of the tower.

She blushes lightly, to hide it she turns her head, her now reddening face is obvious to all except the densest individual…. So everyone but Red can see it.

"I….. I got…. I got this for you Red" She nervously babbled, as she lifted it up to his face.

He looks genuinely confused by the kind gesture, uncertain as to the meaning behind it. "Ugh…. Thanks Serena" He slowly takes the book from her, examining it, searching it for information, pondering the mystery hidden behind it.

Serena slowly turns her head around to look at him, to gauge his reaction to her gift. He looks…. Confused. That's certainly not the reaction she was hoping for.

Lily leans her arm on her brother's shoulder and looks at the small book with a smile. "Aww that's really nice Serena"

Steeling her courage, the young woman turns to face her friends properly, her face still red from embarrassment. "It's a journal…. I thought you could use it to keep track of special events…. That way you won't forget things, you can make plans, you can-" Her voice trails off as she sees her secret love's face change from a look of confusion, to a gentle smile.

The anger, darkness and various negativity that's usually associated with his eyes is gone… His eyes are pure once more, filled with nothing but the face of a small boy who rescued her from the dangers of the forest as a child….. It's too much for Serena to bear; her knees begin to buckle under her.

"Thanks Serena…. What do you need from me?" He asked warmly.

The redness fades from her face, what does she need from him? What does that mean? "What'd you mean? It's just a gift"

The confusion returns to his face, stronger than before. Why would she give him something unless she wants him to do something?

Lily leans on him harder; she flicks his nose with her free hand. "Moron. Don't just stare at her, use this thing called a tongue and talk to her"

He blinks in surprise at his sister, even more confused than before. "What?... Just a gift? What's that mean? You've given me something, so that means you need something from me, if you tell me what it is, I'll do everything I can to do it"

Serena's eyes widen at his words, he expects her to try to bribe him into doing something? Does he not understand that a gift isn't conditional? She's just trying to be nice, and he thinks she's trying to coax him into doing something…. The thought cuts her like a knife.

On the other hand, he said he'd do whatever she asked… That could include going on the date she's been dreaming of for years. Her fantasy could finally come true….

What's she thinking? It's not right; she can't force him into dating her… She wants him to want to be with her….

"Red, a gift isn't conditional…. It's just a gift. I thought you'd like it…." Her voice trails off towards the end, sadness flows through her words.

A stab of confusion and guilt penetrates his gut, he never meant to hurt her. She said it's not conditional…. How can it not be? "Serena….. I don't understand. You don't need me to do something?"

She shakes her head. "Not right now no"

A smile forms on his face, he understands what she's doing now. "Oh I see, you need me to do something later, so you're giving this to me now so you can ask for help later"

Hurt hits her delicate face; all she wanted to do was give him a gift…. To say thanks for everything he's done for her… But it's turned into this. "No I'm not… I just wanted to say thanks for everything you've done for me since you came back… I'm not trying to get you to do something"

He looks down at the small book, baffled by it. "…. Really?... You really don't need me to do something?... Wow… I can't remember the last time someone gave me something like this… I've been given things, stuff I need, or things so that I owe others a favour….. But… I don't know when I was last given a gift, just because…. Thanks"

Lily looks at him confused. "Are you telling us that you don't give gifts? You know just because?"

He shakes his head. "No… Back home we only give things to others if they need them, or so they owe us a favour. We don't give gifts…. Just because"

Serena holds her hands behind her back and lowers her head, worried that she's somehow offended him. "Well… Now I have. There's no condition, it's just a thankyou present"

Before she has time to lift her head up, she feels his arms wrap around her in a warm embrace, she feels her cheeks burn. Without hesitation, she returns the hug tenfold. Resting her head on his chest with her eyes closed and her face smiling widely.

Lily turns around and leans on the fence again, once again looking down at the sparkling city. "I'll give you two a moment alone"

Neither of them hear her words, they're enthralled by the warmth of each other's bodies. "Thank you Serena… Really, thank you" He whispered in her ear.

A shudder runs down her spine, this right here is what she really wanted. A warm and tender hug from the man she's harboured feelings for, for years… Now that she has it, it's even better than she hoped it would be.

"Your welcome, I gave it to you unconditionally…. But a thankyou hug always goes down well" She whispered back. Both of their faces warm further, realising how close they are. They're pressing their bodies into each other, the way lovers do.

Red pulls himself away from her and turns around to face the city again, his face burning brightly with humiliation. She holds her arms up, like she's still holding him tightly, confused by the sudden change in his behaviour.

Not wanting to make this anymore awkward than it already is, she plants herself firmly between the twins and looks down at the city with them.

* * *

The three of them gaze down at the city beneath them, from here the people and Pokémon look like ants. So small… So fragile… So beautiful…

"This is the most incredibly view I've ever seen…" Lily whispered.

Serena's just as enthralled with the glorious sight as Lily is, never in all her life has she seen such a beautiful view.

A gentle tug at the base of her skirt draws her attention away from the view, she looks over her shoulder to see who's responsible for it, confusion once again falls across her face as she sees no one standing there.

Lily turns to face her, seeing her looking over her own shoulder; she too looks over her shoulder and searches for whatever Serena's looking for.

"Excuse me miss" A sweet girlish voice said.

The sound of the voice makes Red turn around and join the girls in searching for the owner of it. Since the tug came from the bottom of her skirt, Serena realises that whoever did it must be small, she looks down to the ground and spots the one responsible for the tug and the owner of the voice.

A small girl is kneeling down in front of Serena; she's wearing a brown shirt with a black ribbon around her neck that hangs down in front of her chest. The shirt is sleeveless; a puffy white skirt hangs off the bottom of it.

She's also wearing black shorts that stop just above her knees; her feet are covered by a pair of pink sandals. Hanging on her side, is a large yellow purse.

Her head is home to golden blonde hair, a small orange beret is on the left side of her hair, allowing a small amount of it to hang down to the side. Finally, her eyes are a greyish blue.

The young girl couldn't be more than ten years old, she's very small though. She really shouldn't be in a place like this alone, anything could happen to her.

She's on one knee with her right hand fully extended towards Serena. She's wearing the biggest smile Serena's ever seen.

Lily and Red both look down and spy the young girl as well, before any of them has the chance to ask her anything, she makes a startling request.

"You're really pretty. Please marry my brother" The girl asked happily.

Serena's eyes widen in shock, did she really just propose for her brother? Lily's jaw drops to her feet, unable to comprehend the request this obviously mad girl has made.

Red squishes his eyebrows together in confusion, what the Hell is marry?

Serena gives the girl a creeped out expression. "Ugh… Marry your brother?"

The little girl nods her head. "Yes please, will you?"

Before Serena has the chance to deny her request, a long metallic arm that resembles the tail of an Aipom grabs the scruff of her neck, lifts her up into the air and pulls her back.

"BONNIE NO! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I BEG YOU NOT TO DO THAT?!" A man shouted.

He has golden blonde hair like the girl; his eyes are the same colour as hers as well. He's wearing a baby blue jumpsuit with yellow cuffs; his eyes are covered by a pair of large glasses. On his back is a large camper style backpack, its metallic and has the Aipom like arm coming out the back of it.

The young girl, now identified as Bonnie, pouts heavily and crosses her arms in an attempt to be threatening. "YOU NEED TO GET ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND! I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOU FOREVER!" She bellowed back at him.

Recognising the terminology this time, Red raises an eyebrow in surprise. "She's trying to get mate for her brother? Holy crap that's a new one"

Serena and Lily are just as surprised as he is, it's clear that these two are brother and sister, their resemblances are too great for them not to be, plus the way they're arguing shows some kind of family tie.

Lily screws up her face in confusion, she knows what he means by the term mate, but is confused as to why he's using it. "What? Why'd you call it mate?"

The golden haired man puts his younger sister back down on the ground, but continues to scowl at her for embarrassing him like that.

Red turns his attention to his own sister. "Well that's what it is… I know you call it something different, but that's what it's _really_ called"

Serena ignores the pair of them and leaves them to argue; instead she crouches down to Bonnie's eye level. She smiles warmly at the young girl; clearly she doesn't understand just what marriage is otherwise she wouldn't have asked her.

"Is your name Bonnie?" She asked sweetly.

Bonnie shifts her focus from her brother to the young woman talking to her. She nods her head and bows respectfully to her. Her Dad always said she needs to be polite to her elders.

"Well Bonnie, my name's Serena. I'm sorry, but I can't marry your brother"

Bonnie frowns sadly, her hopes of finding a wife for her brother dashing before her eyes. "Why not? Is it 'cause he's a nerd?"

Lily giggles lightly, Bonnie certainly got the nerd part right. "Oh I like this kid"

Serena smiles weakly at Bonnie, trying hard not to laugh at her statement. "Well… I can't marry him, because I've already got a boyfriend. I don't think he'd like me marrying another man…. Sorry"

Bonnie's face cracks into an astonished expression, she falls anime style to the floor. Serena takes the chance to wink at the golden haired man, letting him know that Bonnie won't be doing that again.

The man mouths back thank you to her, clearly grateful to her for lying for him.

The other man, with the horribly unimaginative name, feels a powerful stab of jealousy slice into his gut. When did she get a mate? Who is he? These and more questions burn their way through his mind.

Before he has the chance to ask her these questions, Lily answers them for him. "(Not really dumb ass, she said that to shut the kid up)" She said via Aura Message.

Before Red has the chance to ask how she knew what he was going to ask, Bonnie recovers from her fall and kneels down in front of Lily. "Miss, you're even prettier. Will _you_ please marry my brother?" A thought pops into her head, there's another guy here.

She doesn't want to make the same mistake as she did with Serena, so there's only one solution. "Wait, he's not your boyfriend is he?"

Lily looks incredibly freaked out, her face quickly changes colour until it's beetroot red. Partly because of the nature of the question, but mostly because this girl thinks her brother is her boyfriend.

The man in question smirks broadly. "HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!... No way in Hell, I'm her twin brother" He said while trying not to laugh his ass off at Lily's embarrassment.

The golden haired man turns an even brighter shade of red than Lily, partly due to embarrassment, but mostly with anger. His Aipom arm grabs his sister once again, this time though he lifts her up to his face.

"BONNIE NO! THIS TIME I _REALLY_ MEAN IT! **YOU ARE NEVER TO DO THAT AGAIN!** " He angrily bellowed.

Lily jabs her elbow into Red's side, not happy that he's enjoying her humiliation.

To stop the two of them from breaking out into a full war, Serena stands between them. Neither of them will hurt her, so she can act as a no mans land in their warzone.

Both Red and Serena get the feeling that the man's reaction was far more intense than when the golden haired girl proposed to Serena… Maybe it's because he just told her not to do it, and she then blatantly ignored him.

Lily shakes her head, causing her beetroot face to turn to a heavy blush. She looks at the nerd with absolute disgust, like she's staring at the rotting corpse of her exe that she buried in the park.

"What? You can't get a date on your own so you have you kid sister ask girls out for you? Then to cover your tracks you pretend to be embarrassed and tell her not to? You're pathetic" She snapped.

Bonnie shifts her attention from her very angry brother, to the young woman… Who hasn't said no yet. "Will you please think about it?"

Lily's face burns even brighter; did she not make her disgust at the proposal clear? Well she's going to make sure that this time, there is no grey area.

She clenches her fists in rage, snarls at the girl being suspended in the air and expels her rage and humiliation in the form of a scream. "NO! I'M NEVER GOING TO MARRY THAT NERD! **EVER!** "

The man with the metal backpack winces heavily as she screams at his sister, her words cut him deeply. His arm lowers Bonnie back down to the ground and then releases her.

Lily angrily crosses her arms, humpfs and turns to her side with her eyes firmly shut. Red has no clue what marry means, but it must be something horrible for Lily to react like this.

Ever the peace negotiator, Serena weakly smiles at the brother and sister of the golden hair. "Well….. Might as well say hello. Hello, my name's Serena" She gestures to the well-built man beside her. "This is Red, and the now red faced girl is-"

The man in the blue jumpsuit blushes once again, he nervously looks down at the ground beneath his feet. The mixture of steel and concrete suddenly looks so interesting. "Lily Ketchum….. I know who she is" He said weakly.

Surprising them all with his pre-existing knowledge of the city's number one party girl, the nerdish man clings to the straps on his backpack tightly and winces.

The girl in question turns back to face him, drops her arms and loses her blush. "How do you know me? I don't even know your name….. Wait, you seem faintly familiar, have I already fucked you?" She asked casually, as though it's nothing special.

Each of those that heard her outrageous question has their own reactions to it. Red's eyes nearly pop out of his head, he leans forward with his arms hanging down, unable to comprehend her question.

Serena, knowing full well of Lily's habits, facepalms at her complete and utter disregard for subtlety. "I wish she'd at least find out their names first" She thought.

Bonnie's face lights up, if they've already fucked, then this will be so much easier for her.

The man with the thick round glasses falls anime style to the floor, anime style tears flooding down his face as horror and shock falls across it. "NO!... (Ahem) No, I've just seen you around, at parties….. Guy's usually announce your arrival. My name's Clemont"

Lily lazily shrugs her shoulders. "OK then, I fuck a lot of guys…. There's no way for me to keep track of them all"

Rage, furry, disgust, disbelief. These are just some of the emotions running through Red's mind, how could she possibly do something like that? How could she possibly mate with so many partners, that she can't keep track of them all?

He conveys his mixture of emotions in the form of a bone chilling snarl. "You. Me. Talk. Later" He spat.

She raises an eyebrow. "(How about now?)" She said while shaking her head, to hide her true intentions from the others.

Red shuts his eyes to block out external distractions, crosses his arms and leans back against the railing. "(Why not?)"

Lily turns around to look over the city, shuts her eyes and leans on the railing, making her ass stick out to the others. Clemont's gaze is instantly drawn to the extended area; he tries to pull his eyes away. But her hips are just to hypnotic; his eyes are firmly glued to her rump.

Serena slowly shakes her head at their behaviour, having an idea of what they're doing. "Why they can't wait to argue is beyond me" She thought.

Bonnie crosses her arms and sulks. "Well you two are very rude" She whined.

Both Red and Lily ignore her, both of them are in a fixed meditative state, blocking out all external distractions. All they're aware of is their conversation via Aura.

Serena smiles weakly at her, she racks her brain trying to think of a way to explain their strange behaviour without revealing their secrets. "Well… They're not exactly normal Bonnie. Their Dad left them when they were babies, so that's probably part of the problem"

She mentally kicks herself. "I hate having to come up with an excuse on the spot" She thought.

Bonnie and Clemont both give the twins a sorry stare, pity swelling inside them both. "I'm so sorry" Clemont said, neither of them answer him though or give him any indication they even heard him.

Bonnie looks down at the ground with tears in her eyes. "Our Mommy died a long time ago…. But she didn't want to leave us, that was bad enough, I can't imagine what it must feel like knowing that he didn't want you…"

Clemont would scold her for that comment, but it seems like neither Red nor Lily heard her. Instead he crouches down to her level and gently places a hand on her shoulder. "Bonnie… Don't cry, she wouldn't want us to be sad"

Serena feels her eyes burn, her throat ache and her cheeks damped from her tears. This little girl is so young, and she's already lost her mother…. She can't imagine the pain she must have felt.

Bonnie turns around and wraps her arms around her brother's neck; he hugs her back as she cries into his shoulder.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lily and Red have entered a deep and powerful form of meditation. They've shut off their senses, blocking out all external distractions and allowing them to focus on their objective, in this case talking to each other without the others knowing.

 **(A/N This is called Deep meditation)**

They've been exchanging verbal blow after blow, each trying to beat the other down into submission…. Neither one giving an inch.

"(What's the matter with you huh? All I did was ask how I knew him)" Lily said.

"(You asked if you'd MATED with him… How could you not know?)" Even though his Aura, his voice echo's tremendous disbelief.

"(Stop calling it that. It's called fucking Red, not mating, fucking. I sleep with a lot of guys; I can't keep up with them all)"

If they could, his eyes would widen in horror. "(Ugh…. I….. How… I think I'm going to fall off this thing now)" His voice weaker than normal, due to the shock of her statement.

"(Drama queen… It's no big deal)"

He almost rips his eyes open at those words, how can she possibly think that? His mind just can't comprehend how she could possibly take this so lightly. The prospect of betraying your mate has never occurred to him before, yes he's seen it happen a handful of times… But, it was always under extreme circumstances, he's never heard of anyone taking it so lightly in all his life.

"(Sweet merciful crap….. How could you do such a thing? How could you betray your mate like that?)" Even his Aura is reacting to her statement; she feels a sting on her chest with each word he sends her.

Knowing it's not a conscious decision on his part; she ignores the sting of his words and continues with her defence. "(Betray them? Red I've never cheated on any of my boyfriends. Not once, I don't do shit like that. I dump them first, _then_ I move onto a new one)"

If he wasn't shocked before, believe me his is now. His Aura spurts out wildly, stabbing into them both, he tries to calm himself down so he can regain control. After a moment, he calms it and regains full control once again.

With great strain, he continues to speak. "(Sorry about that…. Lost control for a moment)"

"(That really shocked you, how else could you lose control like that? I think for safeties sake we better finish this later, when we can talk normally… First though, how did Charizard lose his eye?)" This question has been bugging her since she first saw him yesterday.

His facial muscles tug on his lips, trying to make him smirk at the memory of that fateful day…. The day Charmeleon lost his eye, and forced him to never speak of it again.

The memory is still crystal clear in his mind, he remembers it perfectly…. He also remembers promising to use it against him when he had to. What sticks out in his mind the most though, is the threat he was issued with.

" _If you ever tell anyone about this, I will shove my claws so far up your ass that I'll be able to use you as a puppet. I'll rip your intestines out of your asshole, then before you die I'll chew them off and choke you with them. When you're at the brink of death, I'll release you and rip your tongue out of your mouth and shove it up your ASS! Then I'll force feed you your intestines and tear your flesh open, rip your liver out and SHOW IT TO YOU! THEN I'LL_ _ **EAT IT**_ _!"_

"(Hehehehehehehehe…. Sorry Lily, I can't tell you that… Not until Charizard gives me the opportunity anyway)"

She mentally pouts like a child; she hates it when people do that. It always makes her want to know more. "(Can I at least have a hint?)" She pleaded.

He thinks carefully about this, while it would bring him tremendous pleasure to tell everyone the humiliating story behind his missing eye, he _really_ needs to save it until Charizard _really_ pisses him off…. When it will humiliate him the most.

Still, a _little_ hint couldn't hurt. "(Fine, but only one so make it good. Ask me something about it)"

She thinks carefully about this, she was expecting him to tell her it was in a battle or maybe a fight… But he's letting her ask a question about it, she's goanna have to make this count. "(Hmmm….. Did he…. Did he lose it in a battle or a fight? You know like in a fight over food or territory?)"

"(HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! If that was the case Lily, he wouldn't be humiliated by it. He'd be _very_ proud of it, like he is of his other scars…. There was no honour in how he lost it)" He said with diabolical pleasure.

She mentally groans, why'd he have to tell her that? Now she wants to know even more than before. "(No fair, you can't only give me a hint then expect me to wait….)"

"(Hehehehehehe…. You'd have to be a Psychic type to get it out of me now)" He said with a mental grin.

She mentally smirks. "(Who says I'm not?)"

His mental grin lingers for a moment, as he processes her words. It finally drops after a moment of thought, realisation washes over him. "(Shit… That's how you knew what I was going to ask her…. You better not be reading my mind right now)" He said aggressively.

"(Hehehehehehehehe….. Don't need to, it's been obvious since you first came back)"

Fear rocks his very bones, does she know? Does she know what he's done? How far has she delved into him memories without him knowing? Please god says she doesn't know that…. Anything but that.

"(Whatever you think you know, it's a lie! Nobody saw anything, there's no way you can prove it was me!)" He bellowed very quickly and nervously.

"(Don't even bother, I know…. You're a virgin)" She said slyly.

A wave of relief should be washing over him, his fears have proved to be baseless. Instead, humiliation floods through him. "HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY KNOW THAT?!" He mentally screamed.

"(NO BODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT!)" He screamed in humiliation.

"(Hehehehehehehe…. I wonder what Serena would make of that information?... Would it put her off you? Or would it make her want you more?)" She asked fiendishly.

Blood rushes to his face, burning its way through his hardened and scared flesh fighting to reach its target. His entire face erupts in a full blooded blush…. At least it would be if he wasn't meditating. Thank god for that.

He struggles to form his thoughts into a coherent sentence, let alone send them to his sister in the form an Aura Message. She can't tell anyone, it's horribly embarrassing. To not have a mate at his age, it's all but unheard of.

The only one he knows who hasn't at least had a mate is Charizard… Maybe Charla too, but there's no way for him to be certain. But Charizard's different, he doesn't want a mate, 'cause that means he'll be stuck with kids…

Why did she bring Serena into it? Does she know?... NO! She doesn't know because there's nothing _to_ know, he doesn't feel about her like that. She's just trying to wind him up, something that she seems to be very good at.

"(Well I suppose you _might_ have an excuse… Seeing as you live in a forest, but there's no excuse anymore. Serena's right there, just ask her out and then have a night of passion with her….. Oh god now that image is in my head)" Lily said.

Upon hearing those words, his ability to form a sentence returns with a vengeance. "(NEVER TELL ANYONE I HAVEN'T GOT A MATE YET! I get enough crap over that back home… Don't talk about Serena like that, she's our friend…. What'd ya mean by date? I thought it was like the day)"

Lily scoffs at him; it's blatantly obvious that they're just friends…. But it's even more obvious that they both want to be more, what's weird is that he's not made a move on her…. Weird.

"Maybe he doesn't know how to ask a girl out, I'll tell him later…. And I'll also tell him a little bit about _safety_ " She thought with a mental smirk and giggle.

"(Forget about it for now, we'll finish this later… Serena's probably prodding us both trying to get us to stop being zombies)"

"(Alright then…. Just don't read my mind while I'm sleeping, you won't like what you find)" He said seriously.

She mentally shudders. "(Trust me, I'm don't want to see _your_ dreams…. I don't want to be scarred for life)" She said with a mocking tone.

"(Then don't do it. I'm serious Lily, stay out of my mind when I'm sleeping. Psychic or not, you can't handle what I see… The last person who tried really _was_ scarred for life)" His voice is even more serious than before.

Knowing that he means business, Lily also turns serious, what could he mean? She was just making a joke about the normal dreams of a teenager… He sounds like he's frightened for her. "(Red, what's wrong?)"

Not wanting to answer that question, he begins to break his meditation; first he must get his heightened senses working again. The sound of Bonnie's tears slices through his mind. "(Lily, something's happened. Bonnie's crying, I think it's time we go back to them)"

"(That's what I said a moment ago moron…. Whatever, we'll finish this later)"

They both bring themselves out of their meditation quickly, their senses once again waking up and exploring the world around them.

They awaken to the sight and sound of Bonnie sobbing her heart out onto her brother's shoulder. Serena's heart strings aren't the only ones that are experiencing a good plucking.

Red turns to Serena, searching for answers as to why Bonnie's crying, all he sees is her crying silently as well. He opens his mouth to ask her why, but she turns around and clings to him desperately and releases her own tears onto his chest.

Not expecting such an act, he just stands there like a moron for a moment, unsure as to what he should do. She continues to cling to him for dear life as she sobs into his chest. Acting on impulse, he holds her tightly and rubs her lower back to try and sooth her.

Lily turns around and sees the both of the girls crying into the guys; she completely ignores Red and Serena, instead focusing her attention on Bonnie. Her heart cries with her as she sees the sweet little girl cry.

She crouches down, and tries not to cry herself. "Bonnie what's wrong?" She asked surprisingly gently.

Upon hearing the teenage girl's voice, the young girl lifts her head off her brother's shoulder. Tears still rolling down her face, why is she crying when Lily and Red are the ones whose dad left them.

She looks at Clemont with big teary puppy dog eyes; she wants to ask him something but can't quite form the proper words.

Knowing what she wants, he smiles at her and nods his head. "It's OK Bonnie"

She smiles broadly at him, then gives him one last hug. "Thanks Clemont"

Without warning she rips her arms off him, turns on her heel and bolts towards Lily, she practically jumps onto her as she clings to her desperately. Lily doesn't waste a second; she scoops up the young girl and holds her in a tight hug.

She stands up with Bonnie in her arms, as Bonnie cries into her. "Hey what're you crying about huh? Is it 'cause Red looked at you funny?" She asked playfully.

Both Red and Serena turn their attention to Lily with the crying Bonnie, slowly sliding their arms off each other but staying very close together. Serena's tears slowly ease from her eyes; both of them stare at Lily in complete and utter shock.

"Am I seeing things?" Red asked, dumbfounded by the sight of his sister comforting a child.

Serena slowly shakes her head, unable to form the proper words to describe what she's seeing.

Clemont smiles warmly at the pair of them, knowing full well why Bonnie's crying, and hoping that Lily can help her feel better.

The sobbing child lifts her head up; her eyes are swollen and red from crying so much. "I-I… I'm so sorry Lily" She cried.

Lily lifts her up a little more, and smiles at her. "What for little one? You've not done anything wrong…. Red's the one who's so hideous he made you cry" She joked.

Not impressed by his sister's insult, he forms a reply in his head and pushes the words onto his tongue. Before he has the chance to speak though, Serena stamps on his exposed toes and shakes her head at him with a scowl.

Bonnie smiles slightly at Lily's words, her tears ease slightly. "S-S-S-S-Serena… Told me about….. You're Dad. I'm so sorry he left you"

Lily's smile drops, she had no clue that Serena had revealed such a secret to these near enough complete strangers. Why in the world did Serena tell them that? How did it come up? What should she say? That it's no big deal? Should she lie to her? Should she be honest?

She really hasn't got a clue what to say, she turns to Red looking for help. He's just as confused as she is, he doesn't know how to respond either. Looks like Lily's on her own for this one.

"Don't worry Bonnie; it was a long time ago… We've still got our Mom and our Grampa though, so we're OK" Lily said with a forced smile.

Bonnie knows full well it's a forced smile, but she still appreciates the fact that Lily's willing to lie to make her feel better. She genuinely smiles at her, her tears quickly drying.

Lily genuinely smiles back at her. "There, that's much better…. Would you like to meet my friend Chatot?"

Bonnie's eyes light up and sparkle, they're once again full of life and light. "YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME!" She screamed in excitement.

Serena's tears quickly dry upon seeing the young girl happy again, she barely knows the girl and yet she's just so sweet, Serena couldn't help but be sad… "Why do I always cry when other people cry?" She thought.

Clemont sweatdrops at Bonnie's excitement. "Sorry, Bonnie's not old enough to have her own Pokémon yet, so she gets really excited when she meets new people who do have them"

Lily screws her face up at Clemont. "What'd ya mean? Of course she's old enough, me and Red got ours on our eighth birthday, Serena got hers at the same time and she was only seven"

Bonnie's eyes turn to stars, her excitement grows tenfold. "I'M EIGHT I'M EIGHT!" She rips her head over her shoulder to face her brother. "CLEMONT! CAN I HAVE A POKEMON _PLEASE_?!"

The nerd in the glasses sweatdrops again, now that she knows someone else got their Pokémon early she's never going to stop bugging him to get her one… Why did she have to say that? "We'll see Bonnie…"

The girl in question pouts heavily. "That always means no…"

Lily scowls darkly at Clemont and slowly shakes her head. "Kill joy" She spat. "Well Bonnie, how 'bout you go back down and I'll get Chatot out? Hmm?"

Serena sweatdrops heavily, she knows all too well that Chatot isn't exactly the friendliest of Pokémon, what's he goanna say when he sees these two?

Lily crouches down again and gently puts Bonnie down on the ground. Bonnie squeals in excitement, she's never seen a Chatot in person before, she's seen them on TV before, but never in the flesh.

Before Lily has the chance to reach into her jacket pocket and pull out his Pokéball, Chatot releases himself. He circles around them all, then drops with a thud on Lily's head.

Serena winces, expecting to hear a serious of insults to be spewed out at them all. Clemont smiles at the colourful parrot, knowing all about their ability to mimic the human tongue. Curiosity runs wild inside of him, wondering what phrases he might know.

Bonnie jumps up and down on the spot, desperate to get a closer look at him. She's got no clue what he could say, but she doesn't care, all she knows is that there's an actual live Pokémon in front of her.

Chatot looks at them both curiously, taking them in, finding various quirks he can use as ammunition against them. Surprisingly, he doesn't say a word, he just sits there, twerking his head about occasionally.

Lily rolls her eyes up to her head; she can just about see his beak poking over her.

"Chatot, these are our new friends" She gestures to both Clemont and Bonnie. "This is Bonnie, and her creepy older brother Clemont. He has Bonnie ask girls out for him because he's not got enough balls to ask them himself"

Clemont looks down at the ground, that jab hurt and worse now Chatot can repeat it to everyone he sees. "Oh Bonnie… What am I going to do with you?"

Chatot narrows his eyes, fluffs up his feathers and tries to make himself look threatening. _"My name is Chatot; can I have your credit card number?"_

Serena slowly opens her eyes, she was expecting him to hurl insults at them and swear his beak off, but instead he said…. That.… He must be up to something.

Bonnie giggles at him. "Aww you're so cute" She said sweetly.

Clemont adjusts his glasses, examining Chatot. "I don't think he likes us Bonnie, he's trying to be threatening" He said with a smile.

Red raises an eyebrow. "Really? He just looks like a puff ball to me"

Chatot rolls his eyes towards him. _"Oh I'll remember that asshole"_ He thought. _"Ooooh that's a big one"_ He said.

Lily reaches up and gently prods his wing. "Well say hello then, normally we can't get you to shut your beak"

" _Shut your beak, shut your beak"_ Chatot squawked angrily.

Bonnie giggles happily again. "He told us to shut up… Aww I wish I could have one"

Serena sweatdrops. "Trust me Bonnie; you don't want one like him…. He's _very_ naughty"

Both Clemont and Bonnie have their doubts about this, he looks like an ordinary Pokémon to them. Red doesn't know what Chatot's like, but he trusts Serena when she says he's naughty…. Now he just wants to see Chatot _be_ naughty, should be a laugh.

" _Naughty, Naughty boy. Shut your beak. Get your hands off that, you don't know where Lily's put it"_ Chatot squawked again, making Lily blush slightly.

"CHATOT!" She shouted as she swiped up at him. He flies up a little bit to avoid her.

" _Watch where you're swiping, you could've knocked my beak off!"_ He squawked angrily at her.

Clemont and Bonnie's eyes widen in disbelief, how could he possibly know to use that phrase at that time? "Wow, he's a smart one. How'd you teach him to say that?" Clemont asked.

Chatot narrows his eyes and drops back onto Lily's head. _"You think that I'm a mimic? Oh I'm goanna enjoy this"_ He thought.

He takes a deep breath, thinking of an old favourite song of his. _"Umpa lumpa dupa da dee… I've got the perfect puzzle for you…. Umpa lumpa dupa da dee~"_

Lily smirks at Chatot, Serena covers her mouth with both of her hands and Red grins broadly. Bonnie giggles again. "Is he calling me an Umpalump? That's funny"

Clemont adjusts his glasses once again. "That's really clever, teaching him to insult your friends" He said with a smile.

Lily slowly shakes her head. "I didn't teach him any of this, the dirty beak's all his"

Chatot stops singing and fluffs up his feather with pride. _"NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT! CALL THE FOOTBALL TEAM! GET THE CAMERA! WE'VE GOT A NERD ALERT HERE!"_

Bonnie clutches her sides and laughs hard, so much so that it starts to hurt. Red tries not to laugh, but he does a very poor job at it. Serena too tries not to laugh at Chatot's comment, but it's just so funny.

Clemont's smile drops from his face, a look of astonishment hits his face instead. "My goodness he's a very clever Pokémon, being able to learn so many different phrases and out them to use at just the right moment…. It's simply astounding"

Serena and Lily's faces freeze solid; Clemont knows not what he's done… In calling Chatot a mimic, he's evoked the fury of the parrot.

Chatot scowls down at them both, blaming them both for the grievous insult. _"Oh I REALLY don't like them, did you hear them? They think I'm just a fucking mimic…. Well NERD and UMPALUMPA! I don't fucking mimic. I know exactly what I'm saying when I call you a Nerd and you an Umpalumpa"_

Both of them stop what they're doing and stare at him in disbelief. "Did he just…" Clemont asked.

Chatot shuts his eyes and turns his head away from them. _"Tell him I don't speak Nerd, I speak the language of FUCK YOU!"_

Lily crosses her arms and slowly shakes her head. "Where are your manners?"

He lifts his beak up higher. _"Buried in the park with your ex"_

* * *

Delia and Lucario made their way back to the twins and Serena; they explored the other areas of the tower before coming to the observation deck….. It had absolutely _nothing_ to do with Delia's fear of heights. Nothing at all.

Delia was very happy that her children had already made some new friends, the 'children' in question decided _not_ to tell either of them about Bonnie's proposals… Out of fear that she'd try to make Lily marry him.

Both Bonnie and Clemont were astounded by Lucario, even more so by his ability to use telepathy.

After explaining that Lucario is their Grampa to them, Chatot decided to tell them what he _really_ thinks of them….. It wasn't pretty.

 **Time skip: Midnight**

A man cloaked in darkness silently stalks the sleeping Garchomp and baby Gible, his target is clearly in view. The mighty dragoness is normally one of the strongest Pokémon in the city, right now…. She's so delicate, so fragile…. One strike, and she would die…

His mission is not to kill her though, no… He must complete his mission, for the Master.

He moves silently through the lab and into the paddock, he's not trying to move stealthily, he's just not making a sound as he moves…. It's unnatural, to move like this without making a sound… Something's not right with this man.

He quickly makes his way to the sleeping Garchomp, her baby boy is still snuggled up in her chest, her tail and arms are firmly wrapped around him, both shielding him from harm and keeping them both warm.

His face is dominated by a dark grin; this is it, his chance to finally prove himself…. He may have failed with his last assignment, but he won't fail this time. "This time, no savage is going to ruin anything" He whispered.

Having heard his whisper, Garchomp groggily opens her eyes. She was never a light sleeper, not until she had her baby. Her maternal instincts have changed her to make her more protective, it's to be expected being a first time mother.

She lifts her head up and looks at the man with confusion; his scarred face is familiar to her. _"I know you… You're the new assistant… Why're you here? It's not time to get up yet"_ She sleepily said.

Panic begins to stir inside the man; he's botched the mission already. He only had to pass along a message, that's all he had to do and he's screwed it up.

Maybe it's not too late; maybe he can still salvage this mission. Yes, he can still fix this mess… And he'll finally prove himself to the rest of them; he'll finally be one of them…. Just like his father always wanted.

He smirks darkly at the groggy Garchomp. "No Garchomp, it's not time to get up…. It's time for you to be reborn"

She screws her face up in confusion. _"You can understand me?... How can?... Oh I don't even care anymore; it's time to sleep…"_ She moaned.

He gently places his hand on her snout, rubbing it gently. He hasn't known Garchomp that long, only a couple of weeks, but he knows she's a powerful Pokémon….. She'll serve them well.

"The time has come Garchomp, it's time for you to feel the cleansing touch of darkness" He whispered.

Before Garchomp has the chance to question him, his true intentions reveal themselves. Thick black smoke swirls around his arm from the elbow down, the smoke does not cling to his body, it swirls around it. The smoke looks like it doesn't want to be part of him, like it's simply using him to achieve its goal.

The smoke leaves his arm and jumps onto Garchomp; it swirls around her entire body, hiding her from sight. After a moment, the smoke fades from her, but the damage has been done… Garchomp has been changed.

Her eyes are normally gold with a black band around the edges, now the colours have been switched around, the life and purity of them is gone… They're hollow and empty now.

The man with the X shaped scar on his cheek's eyes widen in fear, did it work? He had no control over it, he just passed along the message, if he's failed this, then he'll never achieve his goals… He summons his courage. "Whom do you serve?"

Garchomp slowly looks down at her baby; she thought she knew what love was… When she laid eyes on him though, she felt love like she never knew physically possible… She'd do anything for him; she couldn't possibly serve anyone while he needs her.

She turns back to the scarred man, determined to tell him that she serves no one. _"The Eternal Master of Darkness…."_ She growled back at him. She didn't want to say that, why did she say that?

Relief washes over him, he's succeeded in his mission. He lifts his hand off her snout and smirks even broader. "Now go back to sleep, Master will call upon you when you are needed"

She unwillingly nods her head, compelled to obey his command, she curls back up with her baby and drifts off to sleep once again.

The man stands up again, overwhelming relief is flowing through him, he feels tension leave him where he didn't even know he had it… He turns towards a nearby window. "Master Eis, she's yours….. Call upon her when you are ready to strike"

* * *

Over in the Ketchum's apartment, almost all of them are sleeping. Serena's sleeping soundly in the guest room, the soft and warm bed making her journey to her dreams much easier.

Delia has retired to her own bedroom, despite him not being there for near enough eighteen years, Delia still misses the comforting embrace of her husband… She just can't let him go.

Lily dropped onto her own bed, almost instantly she started snoring like a drunken sailor. She's so deeply invested in her sleep; even Chatot's complaining about her snoring doesn't wake her.

Two souls are making use of the living room; Lucario is sleeping in a meditative pose as normal, allowing his senses to remain razor sharp even during his sleep.

Red's with him, meditating against the other side of the wall. Contemplating Eis' warning once more.

"The shining city is where it will begin…" He thought. "What the Hell do you mean? What're you-"

Pain snaps him free of his thoughts, his eyes rip open and widen in agonising pain. He snaps his right arm over his heart, clutching his chest as the pain intensifies.

His heart feels like its being crushed in the palm of someone's hand, but at the same time it feels like it's exploding from the inside out. But it doesn't stop there, the pain is moving, spreading like a plague.

It climbs up his chest and into his left shoulder; it drops down into his arm as the sensation begins to fade from it once again. It's getting harder and harder for him to draw breath, with each breath his vision blurs more and more and his pain intensifies.

He screws his face up in disgust, as a horribly unwelcome taste fills his mouth, it's like he's chewing on a chunk of metal.

To most people, the culmination of these symptoms ends with either a one way trip to the grave, or worse….. A trip to the hospital. But Red's not most people…. This is far worse than a simply heart attack.

His strength is being drained from him, it's like someone's holding his heart and draining his powers from it.

He's running out of time fast, soon he won't be able to fight back…. And the Beast will be free.

He forces himself to stand; he grinds his teeth and arches his back a little bit, as the pain stabs into his heart more. _**"You cannot resist me…"**_

He begins to stumble towards the bathroom, still clutching his heart. "No. Not now…. I can't…. I won't let you out" He thought.

He stops dead in his tracks, arches his back and grinds his teeth as the crushing pain in his heart gets worse. It's like the Beast is crushing his heart as punishment for his disobedience.

He forces himself to fight through the pain, and continues towards the bathroom.

He pushes the door open and searches for something to help him, he can't take this much more. His face breaks out into a faint smile as he sees the mirror, at last a way out.

He stumbles towards the sink beneath the mirror; he clutches the sides of it with both hands desperately. His pain is getting worse by the second; he's beginning to lose the sensation throughout his body. His bowels and bladder are threatening to empty themselves.

 **(A/N I don't own this song guys, credit to Wolf for suggesting it. The song is Enemy, by papa roach)**

 **I wanna chase my dreams, but you just punish me!**

 **I lost myself inside the lies and wicked ways…**

Sweat is pouring off his entire body, soaking his clothes in its stench. The precious fluids fall freely from his forehead and cascade down into the sink.

The more he resists, the greater his pain becomes. The stronger the pain, the more the Beast pushes. The more the beast pushes, the more he resists.

 **I'm starting to believe, you'll be the death of me.**

 **But all I see is the reflection of the enemy…**

He slowly lifts his head up to look into the mirror; he should see his own tortured face… Instead, he sees the reflection of his darkest enemy… He sees the creature he's been running from his entire life.

The Beast is being reflected back at him, it's like they're both in control, both vying for dominance… He struggles desperately not to give into his pain, not to let his weakening body fail him….. But it's just so hard.

 **I think I've lost my way!**

' **Cause I got nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.**

 **I'm running from the enemy inside.**

 **I'll fight for my life, 'cause I wanna survive.**

Thick black smoke begins to flow form around his head, slowly swirling around it. He can't see it though; all he sees is the reflection of his enemy.

He grips the sink tighter. "You might as well back down now… I'm never going to let you out" He spat weakly.

The Beast smirks darkly back at him. _**"You will Boy….. Pain makes the will bend and finally break"**_

 **It's not the TV screen, it's not my family… I'd still be damaged even if I grew up perfectly.**

 **It's something deep inside, something I can't explain…**

 **It's like I've got a disease, without a fucking name!**

His strength is fading from him fast; to conserve what little strength he has left he leans on the sink more. His senses are failing him, he has no way of knowing the darkness is taking over him.

"I will never break" He rasped weakly. "Do whatever you want to me….. I'll take it all"

The Beast snarls at him, as it does the crushing pain in his heart intensifies once again. He slams his eyes shut, arches his back in agony and grunts. "GWAH!"

 **I think I've lost my way!**

' **Cause I got nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.**

 **I'm running from the enemy inside.**

 **I'll fight for my life and try to survive.**

 **I gotta face the enemy inside!**

He forces his head back down to face the mirror; he slowly rips his eyes back open. "Break my bones…. Burn my flesh…. Pain has never broken me before, and that's not about to change"

The Beast stops its snarl, instead it tilts its head curiously. _**"Why do you fight me?... You know that eventually you'll weaken and I'll be free….It's inevitable…. Why do you fight the inevitable?"**_

He grinds his teeth harder, preventing any words from leaving his mouth. He knows exactly what it's doing to him, it believes that by making him question his own resolve, he'll weaken and it'll be able to break free.

" _ **I will be free, and when I am…. I'm going to rip them all apart. One by one, I'll spill their blood and feast on their souls…. You can't keep me caged forever"**_ It spat venomously.

 **I'm crying for help, I'm living a lie.**

 **I'll do anything just to stay alive!**

 **I can't take it anymore.**

 **Can't fake it anymore.**

 **I swear I'll give up my fears!**

He forces himself to grin smugly at his foe. "You'll have to get past Charizard and Blade first…. They both know how much of a threat you are, they won't hesitate to kill you"

It snarls back at him. _**"Oh really?... They'll kill me? Last time they could barely stand up against me, let alone harm me. They might as well be those little brats you keep around"**_

He shuts his eyes but maintains his grin. "How's about answer one of my questions for once…" He drops his grin, rips his eyes open and snarls. "Just what are you? A demon sent from Hell to torment me? A disease? The soul of an ancient Paladin trapped in me?... Are you just someone who's trying to screw with my head?"

 **I can't take it anymore.**

 **Can't fake it anymore.**

 **I swear I'll give up my fears!**

' **Cause I got nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.**

 **I'm running from the enemy inside.**

 **I'll fight for my life, and try to survive.**

 **I got to face the enemy inside!**

It slowly shakes its head; it drops its snarl and grins toothily. Revelling in his confusion and fear, feeding off his pain and devouring his hatred. _**"I'm much worse… Far worse than any of those things… If you had any idea what I really am, you'd go mad….. Not insane, truly mad… Lose all grip on reality and turning truly feral… But you already know how that feels, don't you?"**_

 **This is…. THE END OF ME!**

 **THE END OF ME!**

 **This is…. THE END OF ME!**

 **I AM THE ENEMY!**

Pure unrestrained rage floods through his entire being, easily outweighing the pain and fatigue. Without thinking of the consequences, without thinking of the pain, without thinking at all he slams his right fist into the mirror, shattering it.

The broken glass stays in the frame; the shattered pieces reflect tiny pieces of the distraught Red. The cracks quickly fill with a deep crimson liquid, his blood flows through them.

Pain surges through his knuckles as his flesh is sliced open and shards of glass stab into his wounds. He uses the pain from this blow, he draws strength from it, he concentrates this new found strength into his heart.

The pain he felt before is nothing compared to what he's going through now, his heart feels like its being ripped apart from the inside out.

His eyes shrink as the pain reaches critical mass, soon he really will be having a heart attack. His knees buckle underneath him, his fist drops from the bloody mirror and grabs the free side of the sink, his jaw rips apart but no sound escapes his lips, the pain is preventing him from drawing breath.

But it's worth it, for all the pain he's suffering the Beast is losing the battle… The darkness is receding and the Beast is returning to whence it came.

" _ **Keep your wits about you Boy…. You may have prolonged the inevitable tonight, but I will soon claim what is mine…. You can't stop me for long"**_ The Beast spat as it is forced back where it came from, taking the darkness with it…. Red has won.

His pain ends as quickly as it came, his strength is all but gone once again but he survived. That's what matters.

His blood continues to pump out of his knuckles, and into the sink. He forces his knees to straighten once again, he stares into the shattered remains of the blood soaked mirror.

"How the fuck am I going to explain this?... Shit" He groaned as he lifted his bloody hand over the sink.

He stares down at his hand, as red pulses wash over it. His blood drops down to the sink, small fragments of glass are forced out of his wounds and into the sink. Once the wounds are free of foreign objects, the flesh begins to nit back together again.

His wounds finally heal, but the sink is still soaked in thick crimson fluid. He uses his freshly healed hand to turn on the cold water tap, to wash the blood away.

As the crimson fluid is diluted, his thoughts once again turn to Eis' warning… "The shining city…. The shining city is where it will begin"

"What's going to begin? What's going to happen?... Is _this_ the shining city? Eis, what're you going to do to these people?"

 **Time skip: 9 hours**

The group decided to give their Pokémon some exercise, to do that they've gone to the park. The grass is short but thick, luscious but well kept. Their Pokémon are all out enjoying the nice weather.

Charizard looks to be on edge, he's shifting his vision around the area, searching for something that isn't there. If only he still had his other eye, he'd be able to see a lot better.

He scowls darkly at Red, who smirks back at him knowing full well what that looks for. "You've got to get past that bud…"

Lily turns to Red and Charizard; she rolls her eyes at them. "Can you two go one day without fighting?" She asked playfully.

Before they have the chance to argue with her, someone small wraps around her leg and sits on her foot. Confused by the unexpected weight on her leg, she looks down to see the smiling face of one golden blonde haired little girl.

"HIYA!" Bonnie screamed in joy.

Clemont slowly runs into the park after his little sister, he's struggling to breathe and has sweat pouring down his face. "Bonnie…. (Huff) I told….. (Huff) You not to….. (Huff) Run off like that" He rasped as he struggled to draw breath.

Lily scowls at Clemont, crosses her arms and humpfs out a breath. "Are you stalking me?"

* * *

They're all pleased to see their new friends again, with the exception of the Pokémon. Other than Chatot, they have no clue who they are.

After a series of brief introductions, some rather awkward questions about Charizard and why Charla won't stop giving him the baby doll eyes, Bonnie started playing with the Pokémon. With the exception of Charizard, who's still worried about something.

He lifts his head up into the air and takes a deep breath through his snout. _"I smell something…. It stinks….. I smell an Ice type"_ He growled.

Red gently pats Charizards back. "You OK bud?"

The great dragon lowers his head and slowly shakes it. _"Nope… I can smell an Ice type; I don't like 'em they're too cold"_

He smiles flatly at his partner dragon, not certain what he can say to make this better for him. "I know bud… I smell 'em too. I think it's best for us to just avoid 'em"

Charizard nods his head in agreement, knowing that it's probably best for them not to start any fights. _"How's your heart?"_

Red lowers his eyes in shame; he didn't know that anyone was aware of the incident last night. "I'm fine" He said bluntly.

Charizard gently pats his back. _"Hey, we'll find a way to get it out of there…. We'll find a way to end its hold over us"_

Red lowers his head, he knows Charizard means well, but he's just making it worse for him. "It's not your problem bud…. It's mine; I alone can fix this mess"

Charizard growls lowly at him, to catch his attention. _"You don't have to do everything alone Boss… We're in this together, what affects one of us, affects all three of us"_

Red lifts his head back up, a weak smile falls across his face. "Charizard…. Thanks"

Charizard smirks back at him, he clenches his hand into a fist and holds it over his heart. _"I made a promise remember, I'm not going to let you face shit like this alone"_

Red lifts his own fist over his heart, wanting to repeat the promise to his brother. Before he has the chance though, an eerily familiar sensation flows through him.

His eyes widen, his smile disappears. "Crap…. He's here…." He whispered.

Charizard's eye widens as well, he too feels that same familiar sensation pass through him. It's like somethings trying to tell them something, the way an old friend would look at you after not seeing you for a long time. _"Holy shit…. He found us"_

Blade appears beside Red, seemingly out of thin air. His eyes are wide too, his arms are crossed and his jaw is slightly hanging open. _"I don't believe it…"_

* * *

The rest of them haven't noticed the three of them yet, their attention is focused on something else. The sky above them has been darkened, not by clouds, but by smoke. Thick black smoke.

Light is penetrating the smoke and is filling the city, but the sun cannot be seen, whatever's causing this smoke, it certainly isn't natural.

Lily and Lucario's eyes shrink in fear, they can both feel a terribly darkness coming from the smoke. Lily turns to her Grampa. "Please tell me I'm imagining that" She pleaded.

He slowly shakes his head, but doesn't avert his gaze from the smoke. _"No, I can feel it too"_

Clemont and Bonnie look at the two of them with confusion, they both look like they've seen the ghost of a Ghost Pokémon. "What's the matter with you two? It's just some weird weather" Bonnie said.

Both Lily and Lucario turn to the innocent child, she has no idea how much danger they're all in, but how can she? She's just a child, a child who has no idea of the power of the darkness in this world.

Lily turns to her brother, searching for hope, an answer…. For help. What she sees is the shocked expressions of him and his Pokémon. "HEY! Get your heads out of the clouds! Don't you know what's going on?!" She screamed.

The three of them are snapped from their state of shock and disbelief; they all look at her with varied levels of confusion. "What'd ya mean? What's going on?"

Her jaw drops, she hunches forwards and her arms hang down in front of her. "Can you not feel that ungodly power? There's no way that it belongs to one of us… They're here Red, they're going to attack" She whispered, to try and keep the others from hearing.

Red just stares at his sister, completely confused. Charizard looks around his surroundings, searching for whatever Lily's talking about. Blade analyses the others, observing their actions.

Most of them are looking up at the sky, he does the same. His eyes shrink to pin heads upon seeing the blackened sky. _"Master… Up there"_

Red turns his gaze to his faithful pincer Pokémon, nods his head and then averts his gaze towards the sky. The moment his eyes take in the smoke filled sky, he takes a single sharp breath as his blood turns to ice.

Feeling Red's fear through their Connection, Charizard turns towards the sky too. Unlike Red and Blade though, his eye does not shrink nor does his breathing change. Instead, confusion writes itself across his face. _"What the fuck?"_

His confusion quickly becomes his anger; the anger quickly burns inside of his stomach, igniting the fire within. He rips open his powerful jaws and expels the deepest fires from the pit of his stomach. This powerful Flamethrower soars through the air and towards the smoke filled sky.

All eyes immediately divert to him, the heat from his fire reaches them all, making them all sweat.

Charla's eyes widen at the sight, never in all of her life has she seen such a powerful Fire attack, or such a powerful flame. Her cheeks redden at this impressive sight.

Charizard's fire flies towards the smoke, instead of ripping a hole through it, the flames crash into it, the same way they would if they were hitting a wall.

Charizard stops his powerful attack; shutting his jaws just enough to allow him to snarl like a mad man. _"It's him… That sick son of a bitch followed us here"_ He growled.

His attack has confirmed that which the eldest Knight feared. _"They are coming…. The Paladins are attacking"_ Lucario rasped.

As if reacting to the word 'Paladins' some of the smoke begins to filter off from the main body, forming a large 3-D skull with a spike through the top, just above the tower.

One by one their blood turns to ice, Delia turns to her children and scowls darkly at them. "Don't even think about it"

They ignore her and continue to watch the skull form. "Lily… Can you contact the other Knight? We're goanna need their help" Red said.

Lily's face turns serious, this isn't a time to mess around, this is now a matter of life and death, not just for them but for the entire city. "Give me a moment, I'll call him"

She shuts her eyes and feels out her brother in arms' Aura. The moment she finds it, she sends him a distress Message. "(Willey, we need your help)"

"(Where are you?)" He replied.

"(In the park, my brother's here with us)"

"(….. Red? Red himself? Mew's apprentice Red?)" He said with an astonished tone.

"(NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO BE STAR STRUCK! YES HE'S HERE AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!)" She bellowed back.

"(OK, OK… I'm on my way)"

Lily opens her eyes once again. "He's on his way, for now it's just us Red"

He nods his head sharply, and then turns to face the others. His face is host to an angry, hard stare. "I know this must be confusing for you all, but you need to listen to me"

They turn their attention to him, Delia starts shaking her head at him with tears in her eyes. "No…. No…"

* * *

On the top of the tower, a scarred Eis stands tall, his black cloak fluttering in the wind. His eye has healed from Red's strike, but it's been permanently blinded, the iris is gone there's nothing left but the whites of his eye. He now bears a large scar across his face where Red's blade cut his flesh open.

A dark grin is plastered across his mouth, the anticipation for what's about to come is killing him. He's recovered from that injury very quickly, too quickly.

To his right is a floating ore of obsidian with two horns protruding from his icy exoskeleton, which surrounds his body and gives way to a pair of piercing blue eyes, finally a set of flat teeth are clearly visible from this Pokémon's icy jaws. He's a Glalie, an Ice type Pokémon.

To his left, a woman like hollow purple shell floats. This hollow shell is draped in the finest snow gown; hanging from her head is a pair of sleeve like arms. A long luscious red ribbon like band wraps around her abdomen and forms a bow like appendage on her back.

Her face is covered by a snowy veil like skin; a pair of icy blue eyes penetrates this veil. A single diamond shaped gap in the veil sits between these cold eyes, above these hollow, empty orbs sits a pair of horn like icicles. She's a Froslass, a Pokémon who floats through the air, like a maiden lost in a cold winter blizzard.

Froslass looks over at her Master; a devious grin sits on her face. _"Master, may I make a suggestion?"_ Her voice echo's a conniving mind.

Eis turns his head slightly towards her, not enough to see her, just enough to aim his ear in her direction. "What is it? It better be good"

She bows slightly. _"Master, I am aware of our mission, I am also aware of your plan…. I would simply like to make a slight change to it"_

He mulls over her words, he absent mindedly scratches his chin. "Speak"

She lifts herself back up. _"Thank you Master. As powerful as you are Master, you are not immortal… Not yet. Individually those fools stand no chance against your might, but if they were to fight together… They may be able to create an attack powerful enough to defeat even you"_

He continues to scratch his chin, he had taken such an occurrence into consideration during his planning, but Froslass often has a unique look at the world… Perhaps she might be able to benefit his plan with her suggestion. "Go on"

" _Your lordship is an excellent strategist, even going as far as to foresee the use of the dragon, but I fear you may have made a rare mistake in your plan….."_ She said with closed eyes.

"Froslass, my patience is growing thin. Get to the point" Eis snapped.

She bows once again. _"Forgive me my lord, why should you enter the fray yourself? Send in the drones… Let the fools waste their energy fighting them, then when they're weak issue your challenge…. Their code won't allow them to deny a challenge from you…. They'll be putty in your hands"_

Glalie nods his head, which is almost all of his body. _"Yeah, just blast 'em until they beg for mercy!"_ He yelled.

Froslass throws him a filthy look. _"No you stupid fool, that will leave his lordship vulnerable to attack. If he fires blast after blast at them, he'll be the one who's weakened when the true battle comes"_

Glalie looks incredibly confused by her words. He struggles to comprehend her meaning.

Eis however understands her perfectly. "Hmm… Interesting idea Froslass, once again you've proved yourself to be worthy of being in my presence. Very well then, the drones will be deployed"

Froslass turns back towards him and bows one last time. _"I live only to serve his lordship's will"_

Eis smirks once again, he raises his arms out to shoulder height. "Paladins of Fear, come forth from the shadows and serve your Master!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. His words echo throughout the city, but lose their power the further they go. They become a faint whisper once they reach the ears of those beneath them.

His words aren't meant for the people though, they're meant for the smoky barrier which is surrounding the city. Countless strands of smoke break free of the barrier and crash down onto the concrete ground.

The smoke rises up, forming humans, or at least human like creatures, there's no way to know. The creatures rise up and stand tall, they're all wearing armour. It resembles the armour of the ancient romans, only the cloth is black.

They're all carrying a steel short sword, the emblem of the skull burned into the blades. In their free hand, they hold a tall curved shield, the main body of which is grey with a black skull in the centre, they eyes of which glow red.

Their faces are that of people, they're all wearing various angry, evil and dark looks. Each of them is taking the impending battle a different way. There are what looks to be both men and women amidst their ranks.

The civilians in the surrounding area just stare at them, with baffled expressions. What are these creatures? How did they get here? Why are they dressed like they're going to re-enact an ancient battle?

The Paladins all turn to face the tower, their cold gaze slowly creeps up the surface of which until they find their target. They drop to one knee, stab their swords into the ground, rest the base of their shields on the ground and look up at the Fear Master above them.

"We live to serve master Eis, what is your will?" Some of them ask.

* * *

The group watches in a mix of confusion and horror as the Paladins fall from the smoke and crash into the earth.

The Knights all know what's happening; Eis is summoning some lesser Paladins from across the world to fight for him.

Bonnie clings to her brother's leg in fear. "Make it stop" She pleaded. All he can do is go down to her level and pull her into a hug.

Serena returns both Charla and Sliggoo to their Pokéballs, where they'll be safe. She doesn't know what's happening, but judging by the looks on the faces of their protectors it isn't good.

Delia turns to her 'children' once again; they're looking at each other with cocky grins. She knows that look in Lily's eyes; she's going to do something incredibly dangerous. "Please tell me you're not going to fight them" She pleaded, catching the attention of everyone there.

Red and Lily exchange looks, communicating silently. Red throws her a look that says 'She was talking to you, not me'. Lily returns a look that screams 'Don't leave me to face her alone!'

Together they turn to face their loving, caring…. Terrifying mother. "Mom… We don't exactly -"Lily began gently.

Delia shakes her head furiously. "I don't care what you do and don't have! I am not letting either of you fight those animals!" She screamed.

Red turns towards Charizard. "Scout the area, see how many of them there are"

Charizard nods his head once, and then flies up high in the sky. Red opens up his Aura Vision and pours the power through his Connection with Charizard. Charizard's eye glows blood red, he can see countless black stains across the city.

His math skills aren't great, they're nothing compared to Blade's, but they're a lot better than Red's are. He slowly counts the total number of Paladins that are swarming the city; Eis sticks out like a sore thumb. While Red can't feel Eis' power, he can still see his Aura when he looks at him directly.

Back down in the park, Bonnie and Clemont's jaws are hanging open as they stare at Red's glowing red eyes. "Is this _really_ the time to wear gag contact lenses Red?!" Bonnie screamed.

Red rolls his eyes, and turns to Lily. "We need to wrap this up quick; he's not going to give us a lot of time to prepare"

She nods at him; her stomach is churning around like a swarm of angry Beedrill are buzzing around inside of it. "Yeah… But we can't leave them unguarded"

He smirks at her confidently. "Who says we are?" Blade steps forwards his eyes burning with the furry of a Snorlax who's been disturbed from his slumber. He stands beside his brother his pincers ready and willing to spill blood. "Blade's the best defender I've ever seen. If anyone can keep them safe, it's him"

"WILL SOMEONE _PLEASE_ EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Bonnie screamed from the warm protective embrace of her brother.

All eyes turn to her, pity swelling inside of them. Serena takes a deep breath, she doesn't understand what's going on, but she can try to comfort the scared child none the less. "Bonnie, some bad men have come here…. Red and Lily are going to protect us from them" She said gently.

Bonnie and Clemont raise their eyebrows to show their doubt. "And just _how_ are they supposed to do that?" Clemont asked sharply.

Lily cracks her neck to the side, with a cocky grin she begins to stretch her arms. "How can _you_ be such a fucking Nerd? Never judge a person based on their appearance"

Red slowly shakes his head and sighs. "I know this must be confusing for you all, but you just need to trust us on this one…. We're _a lot_ stronger than we look" He said seriously.

She hesitantly nods her head. "We've got powers that you've never even dreamed of… So have these bastards, they won't hesitate to kill anyone they see. That includes you Bonnie" She said seriously.

The aging Lucario leans on his walking stick more, he tilts his head curiously, Red has shown his willingness to fight yesterday… But when the time came, he chose to spare Eis from death. There could be many reasons for this, but the one that concerns Lucario is Red's willingness to kill.

" _Red, how are you at killing? Will you do what must be done?"_

The man in question crosses his arms and puts on a toothy grin. "I am merciless Grampa… I feel no pity, no remorse and no guilt…. I will not stop until they're all dead" He said _very_ darkly.

Lily grins at him; she feels a burst of pride for her brother. He might make a decent challenge after this is dealt with. "Remind me to challenge you once this is done"

Lucario is not happy with Red's answer; he's taking this far too lightly. _"Red, every death is a tragedy to someone, somewhere… You'd do well to remember that"_

Both Red and Lily roll their eyes. "Life's not fair Grampa… Get used to it"

Lily playfully smacks him in the arm. "We better get ready, they'll be here soon"

He nods his head once with a smug grin. He places his right fist over his heart and holds it there. "Live free"

She smirks back at him. "Die well"

Tears fall freely from Delia's eyes; she can't bear the thought of her precious babies putting themselves in such danger. "Please…. Don't say your goanna die" She knows there's nothing she can do to change their minds, trying to change a teenagers mind is like trying to move Mt. Silver, dam near impossible.

Red turns his attention to his mother, he can see how frightened she is. His gaze falls across the others, they're all terrified too. He sighs one last time. "Look, if it's our time to die, then it's our time to die"

Lily raises her fist and holds it in front of her face. "But we're goanna give 'em Hell before we do!"

Seeing the burning passion in their eyes gives both Delia and Serena faith that they will survive this. Delia knows that look; her husband always had that look in his eyes whenever he went on an assignment….. "They're so much like him….." She thought.

The voice of a cold, merciless killer bombards their ear drums. "People of Lumiose City…. Hear my voice….. I am here to deliver a message, a message from the Eternal Master of Darkness… You are to die slowly and painfully….. PALADINS OF FEAR! BEGIN THE SLAUGHTER!"

Eis' voice is being sent to every man, woman, child and Pokémon across the city, his powers over darkness carries his voice directly to his targets.

The Paladins that are spread across the city rise to their feet, raise their blades, their shields and turn to their helpless victims with bloodlust in their eyes.

The people of the city begin to scream in terror, countless clamber out of buildings, grabbing their loved ones and making one last desperate attempt to reach safety.

The clanging of metal hitting bone and slicing through flesh echoes through the city, the concrete ground tastes the blood of innocents…. The Paladins strike swiftly and without mercy, sparing no one.

With the group, both Lily and Red can hear every scream, every plea, every beg for mercy… Each of them stabs into their hearts. Red grits his teeth, lifts his head towards the sky and roars like Wolverine when he faced his brother in a fight to the death. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Charizard snarls down at Eis, hatred burning in his eye. _"You sick bastard…. I'll enjoy ripping out your liver, a lot more than I should"_

Lily clenches her fists and snarls at the tower. "You bastard… You'll pay for this"

Every man, woman, child and Pokémon know what's begun…. The battle of Lumiose city has begun. "Eis…. This means war"

* * *

 **That's this horrible excuse for a chapter done, it was crap but it was necessary. At least it's done now, over and done with. Dead and buried in the past.**

 **Aaaaaaannnnnnnnddddddddddd… THE BATTLE OF LUMIOSE CITY IS NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **I know you guys were expecting a battle between Red and Lily in this chapter, but there just wasn't enough time….. Sorry….. I promise there'll be one in couple of chapters time….. :(**

 **Don't worry though, next chapter WILL more than make up for the crapiness of this chapter, it's goanna be the best chapter I've EVER DONE!**

 **Credit to Wolfblade84 for the name for the Paladins, I seriously suck at names so I asked him for help….. And he gave me a fantastic name!**

 **It'll be AWESOME! Because of the time of year, I don't know how long it'll be until I update. Don't worry though I am NOT going to let this story die.**

 **The battle will be AWESOME!**

 **Who was that weird guy with the Pikachu? I'll tell you now, it's NOT Ash. I've got no plans to have Ash in this story,** _ **maybe**_ **in the sequel… Maybe not. I've not made up my mind yet.**

 **He's an OC provided by one of you guys…. I won't name names here, but you know who you are…. Please don't tell everyone who he is, the man who is concerned about his gonads must remain surrounded in mystery… Until next chapter when we find out about him.**

 **I'm seriously hyped for next chapter, I just can't wait…. I've probably already started writing the plan by the time you read this. Normally I take a day or two off, but I probably won't with this…**

 **I won't give spoilers for next chapter, but I'll say this…. Something will happen that's not** _ **technically**_ **physically possible…. But who cares? It's awesome.**

 **I know a lot of weird shit's happening in this story really close together, but there's a good explanation for it… All will become clear next chapter.**

 **Lastly, Clemont and Bonnie have been introduced now…. I couldn't resist bringing Bonnie in without having her propose for Clemont… Who better than Serena and Lily? Let me know what you thought of that moment.**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review, feel free to PM, make a suggestion or just shout and scream at me about the cliff-hanger…. I've got plenty more of them lined up, and some of them will be EVEN WORSE!**

 **Dragon out!**


	10. The Battle of LC - Part 1

**Chapter 10: The battle of Lumiose City – Part 1**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is** _ **FINALLY**_ **back!**

 **SSSSSOOOOOOO sorry for how this took me guys, the shit has been hitting the fan of my life. I won't bore you all with details, but trust me it's been VERY difficult for me to write, so I've been taking a little time off. Anyway, enough moaning about that and on with the rest.**

 **I've not been idle during this time though, I've been doing SHIT TONES of planning. Me and my new Beta WolfBlade84 have been thinking of lots of new ideas for chapters and between us we've come up with some great ideas.**

 **Shoutouts to WolfBlade84, Acidplatypus & everyone who clicked that favourite and follow button, thanks for the reviews and the support. So long as you guys are enjoying this story, I'll keep it going…. Oh fuck this, I'M NEVER GOANNA ABANDON THIS STORY! IT **_**WILL**_ **BE COMPLETE! Lol, maybe** _ **this**_ **is why people think I belong in the mad house… Eh, who cares?**

 **Before you read this next part, I warn you, foul language WILL be used for a moment.**

 **Guess who…. I shouldn't even waste effort in typing a message for you, but I'm going to vent my overpowering rage out. First, I will take a deep calming breath…. Now, let's begin.**

 **FUCK YOU! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! THIS IS** _ **NOT**_ **YOUR STORY! IT'S BEEN WRITEN BY** _ **ME**_ **! WOLF HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH FUCKING SUPPORT HE NOW HAS A CLAIM IN IT TOO, BUT YOU FUCKING DON'T! WOLF'S RIGHT, YOU GOTTA HAVE A ONE INCH FUCK** _ **PIN**_ **!**

 **You have NO right to order me around, to demand I do this or that, if you think you can do this any better, then write a story of your own. If you can fit it in between your ass fucking Dad sessions.**

 **If you have any suggestions for chapters, then by all means submit them and I'll see how to put them in, but DON'T demand I do something 'cause you fucking tell me to! GO FIND A BITCH AND FUCK HIS ASS RAW!** _ **DON'T**_ **COME BACK UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO START A FUCKING FLAME WAR!**

 **I've devoted enough time to you now. OK, angry rant over with :) I'm in no way homophobic; this rant is not to be confused as such.**

 **I've decided to edit my old chapters to fix some errors and generally improve the quality…. And make Alex suffer some more, Red didn't really get to teach him some manners. Hehehehehehe. Once they're done I'll post them.**

 **Whoever's wondering who the man with the Pikachu is, or you might remember him as the man who's worried about his nuts, he WILL be explained soon… You must be patient ;)**

 **Acidplatypus, sorry I forgot to give you a shoutout last time, I was so focused on trying to get it done as quick as I could that I forgot to check…. Sorry :( Thanks for the support; it really helps to know people are enjoying this.**

 **Again I'm sorry guys, this chapter proved to be too much to chew on, I've had to split it up. It was either split it, or make it a 50,000 word chapter which nobodies got the time or patience to read. But don't worry I updated twice to make up for it.**

 **Credit to my new Beta reader, Wolf, whose help is extremely appreciated, and without who this story wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is, and this chapter wouldn't even be half as good.**

 **Disclaimer: Own Pokémon not I do. Hmmm. Yoda talk like I am. Hmm.**

* * *

 **Previously**

Serena bid farewell to her home in Vaniville town, to begin her journey with her childhood crush. The family that was split apart by misfortune was finally reunited and questions surrounding the mysterious Eis were answered.

Red seemed to be having heart problems, which led to a questioning session with the Beast itself. Revealing that it is not some simple demon or anything like that, it is not even someone who is trying to control him… It is something worse.

Someone passed on a message from Eis, to the new mother Garchomp, who resides at P. Sycamore's laboratory. She has now been possessed and is ready to serve Eis at a moment's notice. She belongs to the Eternal Master of Darkness now.

When we left them, they were enjoying the morning in the warmth of the city park. Their morning was interrupted by the cold killer; Eis began an attack on the city of Lumiose. The Battle of Lumiose City has begun.

* * *

Blood. The precious life giving fluid runs freely through the streets of Lumiose, tainting the concrete with its crimson stain. The desperate pleas of the dying for the lives of their loved ones shatter the cold silence. Many of the cries die before their message can be given; the swift and merciless blades of the Paladins crave the flesh and blood of innocents.

The smoky Barrier above, which binds every living soul within its dark confines, remains strong. Dozens of splinters break off from its surface, quickly forming smoke covered Pokémon. Tyranitar, Rhyperior, Snorlax, Donphan and Forretress all fall freely from the smoke, crashing into the city, loosing attacks as they go. The city crumbles as roaring fires break out all across its surface, destroying everything in its wake.

From the depths of the Barrier, a single colossal stream of darkness crashes through the smoky surface, falling through the air and down towards the burning city. Through the darkness, gleams of silver shine through, revealing the Steelix behind it.

Many people refuse to bow before the might of the Paladins and their Pokémon, taking up their own arms and turning them against their attackers. Their fight is in vain, they aren't armed to face opponents of this calibre, you can't fight fire with ice. Only fire can fight fire.

The hopes of the city and its people rest on the shoulders of three Knight Apprentices, the only known Knights remaining in this city. The city's defences should never have been thinned out this much, leaving only two Apprentices left to protect it, by chance a third returned, bolstering the pathetic excuse for a defence. Many would say that another Apprentice couldn't make a difference, but in this battle that is one more person to fight, one more person to help, one more person to save lives and one more person to kill Paladin scum.

Add in the fact that this Apprentice is apprentice to Mew herself, then the hopes of the city's survival grow significantly stronger.

Paladins begin to invade the park, their foul darkness defiles the very earth, poisoning it and destroying the life giving soil beneath. Each of them armed with their blades and their shields, ready and willing to spill the blood of innocents.

The Ketchum twins each turn their heads on a swivel, taking in the sheer number of their opponents. So far only Grunts have made themselves known, the most basic form of Paladin there is. As is the case with all Paladins, they have undergone the ritual to become one with darkness, truly one with it. In doing so, they have gained power over it and gained a set of armour and weapons. They are able to use basic Aura abilities, but lack the power to perform many of them.

Individually they are weak, like a single twig, but what they lack in strength they make up for in sheer numbers. Numbers can easily overwhelm even the most powerful of opponents.

Red and Lily's faces light up at the prospect of such a challenge, their excitement builds to extreme heights. Their eyes burn blood red and hot pink, signifying their powers are flowing through their bodies. They are both ready and willing to fight to the death.

Lily rolls her eyes towards Blaziken; the two of them lock their gaze onto each other, communicating silently within a second. Blaziken nods his head, then leaps through the air towards the city. His instructions are clear; kill any and all Paladins upon sight, human and Pokémon alike, they're taking no prisoners here. They are at war now, in war countless die, his job is to ensure as many of the losses are on the side of the enemy, a job he's looking forward to.

Chatot fluffs up his feathers aggressively from his position on her shoulder, glaring daggers at the approaching enemy. _"Bitch you dead"_ He growled angrily. _"Oops, BITCHES are 'bout to die"_

Lily scowls lightly at him. "Get your feathers out of here, find Willey and drag his sorry carcass here now" She growled back at him, while shrugging her shoulder.

His glare shifts to her instead of the enemy. _"OK OK! You don't have to growl… Bitches, you pissed off the wrong…. Well bitch"_ He squawked as he took flight and began his search for their brother in arms.

The twins both draw dark grins, reading themselves for this battle. Their bodies are quickly enveloped in their own Aura, which begins to take shape around them and become physically real.

Lily's clothes quickly turn to light, which dissolves away from her slender body, allowing her Aura to form new clothes in their place. The light prevents her bare body from being seen, preserving her dignity and hiding her modesty from the eyes of her friends and family, as well as her soon to be opponents.

The light of her Aura wraps around her body, solidifying into hot pink robes that leave little to the imagination. A fresh wave of light climbs up her body, pooling together on her most vulnerable points and solidifying into opaque pink coloured steel armour. Her torso is the first, a thin layer of armour clings to her robes, protecting her vital organs from harm without weighing her down too much. The same armour forms across her stomach and lower back, allowing her to move freely as well as be protected. Her arms are almost completely exposed, only a pair of elbow length gloves shields her skin from sight. A pair of knee length boots form around her legs, attached to each of them is some more armour.

Finally, two points of light form on both of her temples, they make their way across her forehead, to meet in the centre as a downward point. As the two points of light become one, they solidify and become solid silver.

The light fades from her body, revealing her in her armour and robes. She cracks her neck to her side, her dark grin still firmly plastered across her face. "Ooooh yeah, that feels _ssooo_ good…" She holds her arms out and summons her own weapon from the depths of her Aura.

A wooden staff emerges from the depths, made from beech wood and covered in red grip tape. The bottom end has a large steel blade, both edges of which are razor sharp; a hollow line runs through the blade's centre. The top end of the staff holds a clear crystal, the wood branches off and holds the crystal in place.

 **(A/N It's the same staff from the Dragon Age 2 trailers, Hawk's staff)**

She grabs the staff in her hands, the moment her flesh connects with the wooden handle her Aura flows through her weapon, melding with the crystal atop it. The crystal turns rose pink and emits a matching glow; she turns the staff in her hands, showering herself in sparks of pink light.

Lily is ready for battle.

* * *

While Mages rely on their Aura abilities to battle, their staffs enhance their abilities and focus their powers. With a flick of the weapon, a Mage can fire what is known as an Aura Bolt. A Bolt resembles a miniature lightning bolt, baring the colour of their users Aura.

While a Bolt is similar to an Orb, they are unique to Mages and are far more powerful than a simple Orb. They are the Mages version of the Aura Orb, and can only be fired from a Mage's staff.

* * *

Red steals a quick glance at his sister, noting how her armour is made from her Aura, he smirks broadly. "My turn" His Aura forms bright red flames against his skin, burning away his clothes and replacing them with armour and robes against his skin.

First, red robes form across his flesh, keeping him warm and acting as a cushion for the armour to rest upon. Unlike his sister, his robes hang freely from his body, hiding his physique from those who watch him. A fire sparks across his robes, enveloping him within seconds. The flames quickly take physical form across his entire body, minus his head and feet, which remain untouched.

The flames quickly become opaque red coloured steel armour, much like his swords and axe, without the rising flames. The armour is far thicker than what Lily wears; it seems to be considerably heavier than hers is too. His armour is undoubtedly stronger than hers is, as it covers most of his body and is thicker. His torso, stomach, arms and legs are all covered, the undersides of his hands remain free from the protective gear, as do his feet and head.

Rather than forming gear like Lily wears, Red's armour forms what looks to be a scaly hide, it looks more like a thick layer of natural armour than man made protective gear.

He summons both his swords from the depths of his Aura and clutches their hilts tightly. He too cracks his neck to the side and grins darkly. "I see what you mean… It's been far too long since I've worn this. Feels so good"

Those who stand together behind the twins watch them with wide eyes, amazed by the sight of them in their armour and holding their weapons in their hands. The two of them look ready for a long and bloody fight.

The Paladins freeze in their tracks momentarily, stunned by the sight of their opponents readying themselves for battle. There weren't supposed to be _any_ Knights here, this city was supposed to be a sitting Ducklet, waiting for them to destroy it. Well, except for the one that Eis seeks… He alone is supposed to be here, not these people.

The moment of shock doesn't last long; they begin their attack with a charge against them. A few nervously mumble to themselves, nothing audible or coherent.

"Hehehehe, only got weapons made from Aura? _I've_ got a real weapon, Master gave it to me a couple years ago, when I first transformed… It's not even an apprentice practise staff, it's real" Lily said smugly to her brother.

He offers no response to her comment; he doesn't even draw a breath. Pain stabs into his heart, stealing his breath from him as well as taking his ability to speak. He tries hard not to let the other see his pain, it'll only make them worry more than they already are. More than that, if he shows weakness to the enemy, he'll give them the advantage.

 **(A/N I don't own this song, nor any others. War by Sick puppies)**

 **Let's do this!**

Unbeknown to him, Lily detects a slight surge in his Aura, indicating severe pain or stress. His facial expression and body language give no indication that he's afraid or stressed, her sense of smell picks up no scent of either of these emotions either. That means he's in pain, but from what?

Deciding that now is not the time to ask questions, she makes a mental note to question him later and focuses her attention on the battle here and now.

He locks onto the nearest Paladin and sprints forwards with his swords raised to strike, with each and every step he fights through the agony in his chest.

 **Faking falls, stop and stall take it all back 'cause I'm taking mine**

 **I'm taking mine!**

Blade uses Double Team, creating dozens of copies of himself. Each one looks identical to the original, it's impossible to tell the difference between them by simply looking at them. Each them uses Quick Attack against a different Grunt, ready to spill some blood in the name of Mew and Arceus.

Unlike the boys, Lily remains in place, smirking confidently as she watches them charge on ahead of her.

Red reaches his target; the Grunt raises his shield to defend himself from them impending strike, his swords slide off his shield harmlessly. The Grunt pushes against the swords, staggering Red slightly and giving himself the chance to strike.

Lily finally moves from her spot, her body twists and turns on itself, she seems to vanish into a ball of pink light. The light rushes through the air towards one of the few free Grunts, who raises her shield to defend herself. The light rematerializes before the shield, forming Lily once again.

She leans her head over her opponent's shield, a confident smirk across her face. "BOO!" She screamed. Once again she turns to light, then rematerializes behind her opponent. Before the Grunt can react, Lily thrusts her free palm into her back and releases a burst of Aura into her; the blast pushes her forwards and onto the ground.

 **Time is up**

 **Out of luck**

 **Should have stood up when you had the time, but you're out of time.**

Without wasting a second, Lily slams the crystal end of her staff down onto her back and surges her Aura through the staff. A Bolt bursts through the crystal and burns its way into the Grunt's back. Lily turns to light once again and charges off towards her next opponent, leaving her first victim to die a slow death.

Blade and his copies each use Metal Claw, covering their pincers in metal to both block the swords of their opponents and counter strike in a single motion.

 **Let's do this!**

 **FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!**

Red's face feels the cold sting of steel be smashed into it, the Grunt doesn't stop there though, he pushes harder to try and stagger him. Red takes the chance to exploit the lapse in the Grunt's defence; he buries his left blade in the Grunt's chest.

One of Blade's copies makes a simple mistake, allowing his pincer to linger for a second too long, giving his opponent the chance to strike swiftly and without mercy. The copy dissolves away into nothing, allowing his opponent to attack those who can only watch this battle. Her opponent defeated, she sprints towards them all with her shield raised so she bowl them over and pick them off one by one.

Serena is the only one who was watching her battle with Blade, she alone saw him fall and see her charging towards them now. "HHHEEELLLLPPP!" She screamed in reflex, catching the attention of the others who cannot take up arms in this fight.

 **Lock and load, rock and roll**

 **Bitch it's all over you're goin' down, YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN!**

Red rips his sword free from the chest of his now dead opponent; the desperate plea drags his head towards its source. Time slows down for him, as he watches Serena raise her arms to shield herself from the blade of the Grunt.

The Paladin in question changes tactics; instead of bowling them all over and picking them off one by one, she's going to just kill this screaming bitch. She plants her right foot into the dirt, lowers her shield and raises her sword high to cleave Serena's head in two.

Red turns on his heel and hurls his right sword through the air, towards the Grunt's arm in a single fluid motion. The blade spins in a circular pattern as it sails through the air, thirsty for human blood.

The Grunt swings her sword down to end Serena's screams. It never gets to satisfy its dark thirst for blood, Red's crimson blade reaches her first. The blade slices her arm clean off and continues to sail through the air, as if it never touched her.

Her arm drops to the earth, her sword still firmly in its grasp. The severed limb writhes and twists across the ground, the blood quickly abandons it as does the darkness that filled it. A mixture of smoke and blood drains from the wound, causing it to shrivel up and turn black.

The blade that liberated her limb from her body finally stops flying through the air, as it embeds itself in the trunk of a tree. Blood erupts from her new stump, showering them all in her twisted and corrupted fluid.

Acting purely on instinct, those who cannot join this battle step away from the crippled Paladin, avoiding the worst of her blood as they go.

 **Get ready to settle the score!**

 **And get ready to face the floor!**

 **Cause it's time to remember it's WAR!**

Lily wizzes around the battlefield in her light form, rematerializing briefly to launch a Bolt from her staff and then returning to her light form to find another opponent to kill.

Blade and his copies are struggling to kill their enemies, more and more of the copies are dissolving away. The split has divided his power and strength between them all, making them far weaker than he would normally be. On the good side, each time a copy is destroyed its strength is divided and given to the remaining copies and original.

Whenever Lily kills one of his opponents, the copy who was fighting it dissolves away, making the fight of the remaining copies and original easier.

 **THIS IS WAR!**

 **And it's on tonight, so get up and fight! Get up and fight!**

 **You had all your life, to run and hide!**

Red Aura Sprints towards his target, who has dropped her shield and is clutching her new stump and screaming in agony and shock. " **NEVER** TOUCH _ **MY**_ APPRENTICE!" He shrieked in blind furry. As he sprints, he hurls his remaining sword through the air, towards her chest. His shriek catches her attention; she turns to face him as she continues to scream her head off.

The crimson blade ploughs into her chest, her eyes widen as she drops to her knees, staring at the blade that has bored its way between her tits. Red stops dead in front of her, she lifts her head up to face him and stares into the eyes of her killer. He grabs either side of her head and smashes her face down onto his right knee. As she collides with him, he releases her and allows her to fall back, blood oozing from her shattered nose.

As she falls, he grabs his sword and rips it out from her flesh, she gurgles out a mouthful of blood as she tries to make her last words known to the world. Nothing but blood and tears escape her though; she is denied her final words.

 **NOW STEP UP!**

 **NOW STEP UP!**

 **LET'S DO THIS!**

He spits on her corpse, as he does the sight of a Paladin destroying one of Blade's copies catches his eye. He gives the Paladin his undivided attention, who turns his own head to face him, with anger swelling inside his stomach.

Red smirks darkly at his newest challenger. "Next in line" As he speaks, he reaches out for his lost sword. The blade rips itself from the tree and flies back to his hand, blood surges through his hand as man and weapon are reunited once more.

The exertion of retrieving his weapon drains his strength momentarily; he drops to his knees and buckles over, panting heavily. The pain in his chest kicks up a notch, sweat floods down his face as the blood drains from it.

 **Second round, goin' down**

 **How about a little reaction man**

 **You can barely stand**

The Paladin snarls darkly at the crouching Red, his anger burns brighter in his gut. "She was my fucking sister you piece of shit!" He tosses his sword and shield aside, before they hit the ground they turn to smoke and are reabsorbed into his body.

Red fights through his pain to smirk darkly, it's obvious to everyone who can see that this guy is very angry. Drawing on the pain, he forces himself to stand and fight again. "Did I upset you when I killed her? Or was it when she cried like a bitch?!"

The Paladin summons a new weapon, a large and vicious spear. He aims his newly formed weapon directly at Red's heart, to end his battle in a single strike.

Red's common sense screams for him to move, to avoid the strike. But his pride screams louder, telling him he is the Invincible Monster of the Forest, he has survived countless blows before, this'll be no different. He confidently holds his arms out at his sides, leaving himself fully exposed and open for attack. "Bring it on bitch… Stronger Paladins than you have tried and failed to put me down!"

 **Bitch slap, slow attack**

 **Man that was practically suicide…. Next in line**

The great fire dragon, known as Charizard, has completed his count of the enemy. By his count there are a grand total of, too many scum bags to count, it's easier just to kill them rather than count them. He abandons his task and turns back towards the park.

As he closes in on his new target, something large catches his eye. He recognises it as a new Paladin, one far stronger than a simple Grunt, walking along side it are two Pokémon. They are not like the ones that fell through the Barrier, these two where with the Paladin before this began.

Through his Connection with Red, he can feel the pain in his chest is getting worse; it's getting far too strong now. _"Boss you stubborn jackass! You can't fight this soon after having a fucking heart attack! You'll have another one!"_

He quickly catches sight of his brother, as well as the Grunt who's aiming a spear at him. A groan escapes his jaws. _"And you say I'VE got a big head… You're too proud for your own good Boss; if you die then Blade'll kill ME!"_

 **Fight! Fight! Fight!**

 **Fight! Fight! Fight!**

 **Fight!**

Charizard unleashes his Flamethrower around the edges of the park, effectively creating a Barrier of his own. The roaring flames block the path of those who wish to enter the fray.

Red rolls his eyes and holds his head to the side, daring his opponent to _try_ and do what no one else has managed to do, kill the Monster. The Grunt angrily hurls his spear with deadly accuracy; the air is torn apart as it makes its way to heart of the enemy.

Lily rematerializes behind a group of Grunts, who managed to kill Blade's copies and are preparing to strike at those who remain. They all turn on the spot to face her, as they do she swipes her staff through the air, loosing a series of Bolts from her staff as she does.

The Bolts boor their way into the flesh of the Grunts, who all look down at their chests in defeat. The energy crackles in their chests, these Bolts aren't meant to kill them, but give Lily the ability to gain a small portion of control over them.

With diabolical pleasure, she clenches her free fist, activating the power locked inside those Bolts. The Bolts inside their chests explode, ripping their flesh apart from the inside out. They drop to the ground. Dead.

The stand-off between Red and the Grunt catches her attention, her eyes widen in horror when she sees him expose himself to the spear, it's like he's _asking_ to be killed! "YOU MORON!"

 **Get ready to settle the score!**

 **And get ready to face the floor!**

 **Cause it's time to remember it's WAR!**

Drawing on her Psychic energy, locked deep away inside her mind, she concentrates hard. Her growing Psychic energy pools into her free hand, making it faintly glow luminous blue. Her eyes change from hot pink to luminous blue as well, signalling that she has gathered enough power to attack.

She thrusts her hand forwards, releasing a weak telekinetic wave towards the spear. Her attack knocks the spear off course slightly, but not enough to save him from its deadly bite. While her intentions were to save him from the strike, she has actually made the strike more deadly. The weapons of Paladins absorb elemental attacks and add their power to their strike.

 **THIS IS WAR!**

 **And it's on tonight, so get up and fight! Get up and fight!**

 **You had all your life, to run and hide!**

 **Step up, step up. Let's do this.**

The stick of death's tip glows blue with the stolen Psychic energy, while its course has been altered it still ploughs through Red's armour and tears through his flesh. It continues to fly, carrying Knight blood with it. Its journey finally ends, when it collides with a tree trunk.

Red's sword drop from his grasp, as his eyes widen in agony. He howls in agony as the pain surges through him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Blood pours out from the left side of his abdomen; the spear split his flesh in two, but missed his vital organs. Barely. His now free hands clumsily clutch his bleeding side, in an attempt to ease the blood flow.

The pain from his heavy flesh wound pales in comparison to the pain in his heart, it feels like its being crushed in a vice again, while a Snorlax sits on his chest. He's closing in on a second heart attack in as many days.

' **Cause we're all, about ready to break**

 **And we're all about ready to break**

 **Yeah we're all, about ready to break**

 **Yeah we're all, about ready to break**

His blood pours from the wound, despite the pain from his heart, staining his hands crimson. Pulses of red Aura flow from the wound, far weaker than they would be normally, they aren't enough to heal the wound, but they are enough to ease the bleeding down to a light trickle.

The mighty dragon of fire swoops down through the air and snatches the Grunt who threw the spear, he roars into the his face. _"NOBDY KILLS THE BOSS!_ _ **BUT MMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_ _"_ He rips the Grunt's armour off with his talons, then lunges his head down and chomps his teeth into his exposed flesh.

 **This is war… And it never ends…**

 **So get up, get up, get up, GET UP!**

 **You had all your life**

 **To run and hide! Step up! So step up!**

Red's vision betrays him, blurring badly and preventing him from being able to see the battle around him. His other senses are as sharp as ever, alerting him as to what is making its way through the flames. "Bring it on… I can still fight" He rasped.

Like her brother, Lily too knows what's joining the fray. She turns to light once again and recommences her attack against the Grunts, trying to eliminate as many Paladins as she possibly can before their newest challenger joins the fray.

 **This is war! And it never ends!**

 **This is war! And it never ends!**

The flames part, giving way to the power of the Paladin who seeks entrance to this battle. A very large brute of a man walks through the newly formed gateway; he's wielding a brutal Warhammer, a heavy two handed weapon, in one of his ham like hands.

He's a Sentinel, a far stronger Paladin of Fear than a simple Grunt. Sentinels are far larger than any normal man or woman, they easily clear heights of seven feet and are usually very broad shouldered to go with their towering height. Their bodies are far physically stronger than any normal person, while they don't look it; they are able to lift almost anything they desire.

The process of giving them their powers warps their bodies; it causes them to grow far bigger and stronger than Grunts do. They typically wield large two handed weapons, making the most use of their strength. More than their physical strength though, their Aura is stronger than any Grunt. They have more abilities over their Aura and are able to attack with it directly.

Standing either side of the Sentinel is a pair of Houndoom, snarling at Blade and his copies. "Kill them" He spat darkly.

The Houndoom twins each release powerful Flamethrowers, the flames twist and turn through the air, splintering out and forming dozens of smaller Flamethrowers, each one targets one of Blade's copies.

The flames quickly dissolve the copies away, while destroying the copies; they are also bolstering the original's strength. He reaches forwards in a flash and snatches his opponent's neck, without hesitation or mercy he snaps the Grunt's neck and drops his lifeless body to the ground. He turns towards his newest challengers. _"I'll deal with you two later"_

 **THIS IS WAAAARRRR!**

 **LET'S DO THIS!**

 **LET'S DO THIS!**

Charizard rips out the liver of the Paladin he snatched, satisfied that he has the tastiest part of his prey, he hurls the remains down to the ground, like the discarded wrapper from a candy bar. He too drops down to the earth with a heavy thud, munching away on his liver as he does.

Without Blade's copies to keep their attention, the Grunts are free to gang up on Lily. Red's injured and is unable to fight right now, he poses no threat, attacking him now would make killing him easier, but then they'd have to deal with his Charizard and Scizor. Lily is currently a major threat, she's picking them off one by one, and she doesn't have any Pokémon with her to defend her right now. She's their best target.

Lily rematerializes to strike a group of them again, the moment she does a large group of them charge in towards her, surrounding her within seconds. There's too many of them for her to attack, she'll be struck down long before she gets the chance to kill any of them.

If she can't attack, then she's left with only one choice. She throws up a small pink Barrier of her own around herself, protecting herself from the bites of their blades, which bounce of the shield harmlessly. She swipes her free hand around herself, activating the secondary effects of her Barrier. In a flurry of pink light, it explodes, hurling her challengers back and onto the ground.

 **FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!**

 **FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!**

 **FIGHT!**

 **Let's do this…**

The Sentinel catches sight of the injured Red, who is still trying to heal himself, his eyes widen for a moment. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts; he then clenches his free fist and holds it high, signalling to the other Paladins to cease their battle. He wishes to address their opponents.

The Paladins raise their shields defensively and pull their blades back, the Sentinel outranks them and is far stronger than them all, it wouldn't be wise to defy his will.

Lily acknowledges the Sentinel's silent request for a momentary truce, simply because it will give her the chance to rest for a moment and will give Red the time to finish healing. She stops attacking, but maintains a firm hold across her staff, ready to end the truce at a moment's notice.

Lucario takes this momentary break to assess the battle, so far the three of them are doing great; they've managed to kill most of the Grunts with relative ease. _"This battle would already be over, if Charizard would get off his fat ass and help!"_ He thought bitterly.

Red's hands are stained with his own blood, but he has managed to heal the wound enough to stop most of the bleeding now. He's no longer at risk of bleeding to death, at least through the wound as it is now. He lifts his hands away from his flesh and summons his swords from the ground. The pain is still crushing his heart, but he can't afford to let it hold him back anymore. He must fight through it and end this battle, before any of the others get hurt.

Charizard rips his liver in half and chews on it slowly, savouring the flavour and texture of the delicacy. _"What the fuck are you stopping for? Burn 'em to a crisp already Boss, if you need some fire just say so"_

Blade charges his Steel energy through his pincers, turning them into a Metal Claw attack; he won't be taken by surprise again. _"Get this over with"_ He rolls his eyes towards the Houndoom. _"I'll take you both on next"_

The Houndoom twins snarl at him in response, as they slink away from their Master's side towards him. _"Poor little bug, you don't stand a chance against either of us, let alone both of us at once. This isn't a fair fight"_ They split apart as they walk, hoping to distract him so they can hit him with a sneak attack.

Recognising this cowardly tactic, Blade un-focuses his eyes, allowing him to see his entire surroundings at once. _"Yeah, you're right… This isn't a fair fight. Why don't you get some back up, you'll need it to take on this bug"_

The Sentinel puts on toothy smile, as he does he rests his hammer across his shoulder. "Well well well… I don't believe what I'm seeing here. A man with red Aura, who stares death in the face without bothering to defend himself. A man who commands a Scizor as well as a one eyed Charizard… Lookey here boys, we're in the presence of the infamous 'Invincible Monster of the Forest'… The Monster himself has come to fight us"

A wave of horrified gasps flow through the Grunts, followed by stares of horror and fear. "WHAT?! HE'S FUCKING REAL?!" One of them shrieked in fear. "I thought he was just a myth, a story to scare us into being careful" Another whispered. "Shit. We're all fucking dead" Another cried. "MERCY! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON US!" One pleaded, as he soiled himself in fear.

Lily can hear the terror in their voices, smell the fear flowing from them, they're truly terrified of Red. Rather than being pleased that he's feared by the enemy, she's angry, have they forgotten she's here to?

The 'Invincible Monster' is panting heavier and heavier with each passing second, the strain of all this stress is getting to be too much for him. A shooting pain is climbing up into his left arm; the taste of copper is filling his mouth. "Bring it… On… Piece of shit. I don't give… Mercy to your kind" He breathed back.

The Sentinel slowly shakes his head in disappointment, he expected more from Paladins of Fear. This so called invincible monster is obviously a greatly exaggerated myth, look at him, he can barely stand. "I don't know why my men are so afraid of you, look at you, you're barely standing… I'll prove here and now, that you aren't invincible" He lazily aims his free hand at Red's chest, forming a black Orb in his palm. "Let's see just how 'invincible' you really are"

A colossal beam of black Aura explodes from his hand, ending the short truce and reengaging battle once again. In a blink of an eye, the beam hits Red square in the chest, knocking his swords from his grasp and sending his body through the air and into a tree. "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" He cried out as attack burned through his armour and hit his flesh.

His armour melted upon the touch, like a flaming sword through a wall of ice, leaving his bare flesh exposed to the power. The force of the attack has shattered his ribs, while they have avoided his lungs for now; the pain still hits him hard. His eyes widen in agonising pain, not from his flesh that doesn't matter, that's not going to kill him. His heart is what's hurting the most; he's at the brink of a second heart attack in as many days.

All eyes focus onto him, in a single instant he has become the centre of attention. Many of the eyes watching him are filled with joy, the eyes of the Paladins watch eagerly as their most dangerous opponent dies before them.

Lily's mind races with thoughts, no matter how strong or tough Red is, he won't survive a hit like this for too long, eventually his body will fail him and be destroyed by the pure Aura in an Aura Wave attack, it's inevitable.

That means she's alone in this fight now, she's the only one left who can take on this many Grunts at once. She doesn't have a choice, she's got to use her best group attack, the fact that it's one of her favourite attacks has nothing to do with it… Nothing at all. She turns to Lucario. "GRAMPA! THROW UP A BARRIER AND SHEILD EVERYONE! NOW!"

The aging Pokémon turns to face her, blinking a little in surprise at her command, it's been a long time since he has been issued with a command. It provides him with a sense of nostalgia, but now is not the time for such trivialities, now he must do his part to end this nightmare.

With a swift nod of his head, his eyes glow blue and his head appendages stiffen out. In an instant a blue bubble forms around him and the rest of the ones who can only watch. A Barrier of his own, while much weaker than anything Lily has and could make, it'll do for now.

"THE BIG GUY'S MINE!" Red screeched over the sound of the Wave, catching his sister's attention.

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, even when she's trying to save his life and the lives of their friends and family, he has to one up her… His pride has blinded him to the severity of the situation he is in. "FINE! JUST KILL HIM QUICK BEFORE HE KILLS YOU!"

Grasping her staff in both her hands, she slams the blade into the earth and focuses her power into the weapon, charging it for this attack, which will end their struggle. At least in this place it will, as for the rest of the city, they'll have to reclaim it the old fashioned way.

Red grinds his teeth and tries to focus his mind on something other than the pain, he hasn't got a clue what Lily's about to do, but he knows she needs time.

Time, it's a precious commodity to few, but it's invaluable in this battle. "BLADE! GUARD LILY! SHE NEEDS TIME!" The red pincer Pokémon abandons the focus of his attention, the Houndoom twins, and uses Quick Attack to reach Lily in the blink of an eye. He stops dead in front of her and then uses Double Team to surround her with his copies. Each one uses Metal Claw to defend her; each one is willing to die to obey their Master's call.

The Sentinel stands exactly where he was when he began his attack, he's truly astounded that Red's able to communicate, the force from the attack alone should have ended his miserable life, yet he's still alive and talking. There might be some truth to the myth surrounding him after all, perhaps he truly does hold some unseen strength that should be feared, or perhaps he's simply a tough opponent.

Either way this cannot continue, he pumps more power into the attack, making it grow wider and spreads across Red's chest and abdomen, enveloping them in its burning touch. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screeched in agony, as the sound of his own erratic heart beat fills his ears.

Such a sound would send chills down the spines of many, but to him it is a comfort, a sign that his body still functions. The sound of a beating heart has provided him comfort for years past, it is one thing that binds humans and Pokémon together, they all have a heart as well as a heartbeat. When times seemed darkest for him, he found comfort in the gift Serena gave him as a child, but he also found comfort in the beats of the hearts of those close to him.

His teeth grind together, threatening to crack under their own pressure, his eyes burn brighter as a fresh wave of power comes to his aid. The comforting sound soothes his heart slightly, easing his pain and allowing him to recover the power he needs to fight back. "NO! YOU CAN'T KILL ME, **BECAUSE I'M ALREADY DEAD!** "

Lily's staff gains a rose pink hue, as her power begins to build up within the weapon. She'll need to focus all of her power into her staff to use this attack, fuck knows how she'll be able to fight after this is done, but right now isn't the time to be thinking of things like that, if she doesn't destroy the Grunts they face now, they won't live to fight later.

The Sentinel stares at Red in horror, he can feel that his power isn't decreasing anymore, it's rising. He's getting stronger and stronger; soon he'll be able to fight his way through this attack. Fear stabs into him, what if the legends are true? What if he _really is_ invincible? How can they beat him if he really is immortal? He'll have to weaken him first, Knights have a fatal weakness in their power, the pain of loss can steal their power from them. "IDIOTS! DON'T JUST STAND THERE! **KILL HER!** "

The Grunts drop their defensive stances and raise their blades towards the young Knight, surrounded by copies of a pincer Pokémon. Blade raises his pincers high and takes an aggressive stance, he won't fail again.

Red clenches his fists, the power that has returned to him isn't his full, but it'll be enough for him to end this little game of wills. He pushes himself forwards, against the beam of Aura, against his own pain. No matter what happens 'cause of this, he won't be beaten by a mere Sentinel. On the bright side, the heat from the attack is sealing his wound shut, effectively healing it for him.

Charizard lazily lifts his head up again, having polished off around two thirds of his liver now. He tilts his head curiously, as he watches his brother push back against a deadly attack; he can feel the raw anger surging through his veins. He shakes his head slowly as he chews, Red won't fight with his rage, despite it being his strongest source of power, it baffles the dragon. _"Careful with that anger, you don't wanna lose your shit again. Last time you burned fuck knows how much down, took us weeks to fix everything"_ He said lazily.

His brother pushes on, gaining more and more momentum with each step; he's barely even feeling the burn now, the only pain he's registering is coming from his heart. Through sheer will, he's pushing through it all, his burning desire to end this battle fuelling his movements. "I CAN'T BE DEFEATED! I'M ALREADY **DEAD!** "

The Grunts quickly take up their positions, circling Blade, his copies and Lily, searching for a weakness in his defence to exploit. He won't give them the chance they need though, a second wave of copies are spawned into creation, these copies leap forwards and slam their Metal Claw attacks into the flesh and armour of the Grunts, shattering their bones upon impact.

Lily's staff fills with more and more power with each passing second, rose pink light swirls around the weapon, flowing into the crystal above. Her attack is almost ready, she just needs a few more seconds and she'll be able to end this.

Red's all but striding through the Wave now, it's like he can't even feel it. His eyes lock onto those of his enemy, fear has claimed them and has blocked out all other emotions from sight. The Sentinel's attack loses more and more power with each passing second, what point is there is maintaining such an energy consuming attack? He's dead no matter what. "You… You're a fucking monster"

Their original target having escaped them, the Houndoom twins begin circling Charizard, waiting for the perfect chance to tear his scaly hide open. The dragon in question swallows the last chunk of liver in his mouth, licks the blood off his lips and smirks devilishly. _"He was delicious… I'll enjoy eating you two next"_ He growled.

Bloodlust. That's the only thing going through the mind of the male Knight, the pain has been pushed from his mind, the urge to spill blood is the only driving force going through him now. The Wave that was previously trying to end his life finally breaks. The Sentinel behind the attack has lost the will to carry on fighting him, what point is there? He's come face to face with the Monster all Paladins fear, and worse still he's pissed him off… Very few actually see him in the flesh, even less survive the meeting.

The monster in question stands before the brute of a man who leads this ragtag force of Grunts, his eyes burning with uncontrollable bloodlust. The eyes of the Sentinel widen in pain and shock, he looks down to his chest, and sees the hand of his opponent has delved into his flesh. Driven by pure uncontrolled furry, Red's right fist smashed through the steel that shielded his flesh, tore through his flesh and ribs, to reach the beating organ hidden inside.

The cold talons of Yveltal wrap around the Sentinel's throat, as his eyes roll into his head and the life giving blood drains from his face. "I am the Invincible Monster for a reason Paladin scum. You cannot kill me, because I'm already dead" He whispered, before he ripped the heart from the man. The Sentinel releases his final breath and falls back to the cold unforgiving earth. Dead.

 **(A/N I know it's not technically possible to rip someone's heart out, but honestly who cares? It's badass)**

Lily's eyes rip open, the crystal atop her staff ignites in perfectly clear pink light, her attack is ready. "TIME TO END THIS LITTLE GAME!"

The power locked away within her staff erupts out through the crystal atop it, dozens of rose pink beams burst through the crystal and climb towards the Barrier above. The beams twist and turn around themselves as they rise towards the sky, all eyes lock onto them, enthralled by their magnificent beauty. They look like fireworks climbing up to the sky, to explode and provide a beautiful show for those who set them off. The dazzling beams break apart and dive towards the earth, each acting as a miniature darkness seeking missile.

* * *

At the base of the magnificent glass tower, the concrete ground runs red with the blood of innocents, the streets are lined with the bodies of the dead, both human and Pokémon alike. Some people bravely try to defend their homes and loved ones from the might of the Paladins and their Pokémon, despite their efforts; they aren't even making a dent in their forces.

Many buildings have been crushed, the rubble that was once countless homes litters the blood soaked streets. The screams of the dying and the terrified drowns out the roars and blasts of the Pokémon of darkness.

A small boy, no older than Bonnie, runs through the streets, avoiding the rubble and bodies of the dead as he goes. Tears stream down his cheeks, having been told by his mother to run, to run as far away from their home as he could, as said home collapsed around them, burying his family in the process.

An equally young Eevee rests on his shoulder, his fur matted from soot and tears. Like his trainer, he too is searching for one who leads this gang of murderous bastards.

Together they run towards the tower, they've both seen these murderous people turn towards it and bow, it's their best chance to find their leader. If they can get rid of him, then the rest of them will go away, they have to. Their eyes scan their surroundings, but don't absorb the sights around them.

A gentle tap on the boy's shoulder, alerts him to what his Eevee sees, a man stands atop the tower, with a Pokémon either side of him. _"THAT'S HIM! I KNOW IT!"_

Tears continue to sting the boy's face as the roll down his swollen and reddening face. "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO TOUGH?! TAKE US ON!" He cried out as loud as his small lungs allowed him.

The young cat like Pokémon growls up at the tower, while details obviously can't be seen, he knows Pokémon when he smells them. _"I'LL TAKE YOU BOTH ON!"_

Their small voices aren't strong enough to reach the top of the tower, nor are they loud enough to be heard above the sounds of battle. Regardless, Eis knows they are here, he sees all through the Barrier he has created here. Lowering his gaze, he spies the two challengers to his rule.

His hand aims itself down at the challengers and forms an Orb as black as the night sky in the palm. Froslass follows her Master's eye; she too spies the boy and his loyal Eevee and scowls at them, as though they are nothing but shit on her foot. _"Master, allow me to deal with this vermin. There is no need for you to dirty your hands with such filth"_

"Silence" Eis hissed back, as a dark grin formed on his face. "I will destroy the vermin myself; no one threatens me and gets away with it"

She quickly bows to her Master, as a sign of submission to his rule. _"As you wish Master"_

The eyes of the boy and his Eevee widen, as they see a strange ball like object drop down from the tower towards them. Unbelievable fear fills both of them, fear that restricts them from moving, they can't even breath. What's coming towards them? Is it some kind of weapon? Is it a Pokémon attack?... It doesn't matter; they both know this will kill them.

Before the Orb can strike the children, a flash of light rises up from the bettered city. A bolt of lightning rises from the light and into the air, it curves through the air towards the tower.

The arch of lightening seeks out its target, the Orb of darkness. With a single jolt forwards, the lightening crashes into the Orb, flooding it with electricity and changing its trajectory. The Orb crackles with electricity as it crashes into a relatively undamaged building.

Eis simply stares for a moment, confused and baffled by the unexpected Thunderbolt attack. He and Froslass turn towards the source of the attack, while Glalie simply stares at the remains of the crushed building, waiting for the Orb to come back out and kill the child. Eis' keen eye sight detects traces of light from the source of the attack, despite being blinded in one eye by Red; he still has one good eye left.

Blood boils and bubbles up into his face, as a bloodlust fuelled snarl breaks out, a strong anger point throbs on his forehead. "DESTROY THAT MEDDLING ELECTRIC RAT! MAKE IT SUFFER!" He bellowed.

His head snaps back to face the boy who dared to challenge him, forming a second Orb in his palm as he does. He's gone, the boy and his Eevee are both gone, not even leaving a hair behind. They must have run off when his attention was drawn away.

His snarl grows stronger, his face burns brighter with fresh rage, the anger point grows larger and is joined by a pair of small points either side of it.

Sensing his growing anger, Froslass bows to him once again and tries to defuse the situation. Eis must conserve all his power if their plan is to bear fruit. _"It matters not Master, that vermin is meaningless"_

Her Master turns on his heel, foaming at the mouth with rage. "Destroy them. Destroy them both. No one escapes me and lives to tell the tale"

* * *

The once lush and green park, now bares the bodies of dozens of young men and women, cut down in the prime of life. Many of their bodies bare wounds inflected from blades and claws, but most have wounds inflicted by Bolts.

The young lady, who ended their lives, now leans on her staff in an effort to stay standing. That last attack took most of her energy to fuel it, while she has plenty of power left inside her, what good is it if she lacks the energy to use it?

Her brother lies on his back, his arms sprawled out either side of him; the pain in his heart has returned with renewed passion and heat. The blood has been stolen from his face, leaving his lips a faint shade of blue. A cold sweat drips down his pale face, as he struggles to draw breath.

Whatever energy he had left after killing the Sentinel has been stolen from him, by his own heart. The pump in his chest is beating irregularly, struggling to force his blood through him. Starving his body of life giving oxygen.

Lucario broke the Barrier shortly after Lily's attack ended, deciding it was better to conserve what little energy his body will allow him. Each of those who can only watch is having a different reaction to what they have just witnessed.

The youngest of them all, Bonnie, clings to her brother's leg for dear life. Her petite body is clearly shaking, her eyes are wide as dinner plates and her small delicate fingers dig into her brother's jumpsuit. The older brother to the girl is having a similar reaction, the blood has been drained from his face, but his eyes are the size of pinheads. His bladder threatens to empty itself from fear at any moment.

The helpless mother remains fairly composed, her blood remains in her extremities, but her face is completely blank and devoid of emotion. Shock. Shock has claimed her as its own, preventing her from absorbing what she has just witnessed.

Lucario's wrinkled face holds even more lines, his mouth forms the broadest smile and his eyes shimmer with tears of pride. Never before in his long life has he been so proud, _his_ grandchildren just handled a difficult situation like Masters.

Serena's barely able to stand; her legs are trembling and feel like they're made of jelly. They threaten to give out under her own weight; she doesn't even know what's keeping her up right now. She knew that eventually she'd have to see both Red and Lily spill blood; she also knew that it was a possibility that she'd have to do the same. But to see them do it, to see them spill the blood of other human beings… It's a horrifying realisation that can never be washed away from her memories.

The Houndoom twins lie on the ground; the body of the first is covered in slash wounds and has had one of its back legs ripped off. The ripped tendons and torn flesh indicate that this leg was ripped off, not cut by a Slash attack. Charizard licks his claws clean of blood and then begins to chew on the shank he holds.

The second bares no visible wounds; its neck has been snapped. It died a quick and painless death, unlike its counterpart. Blade stares down at his fallen foe; no emotion is visible through his cold glare. _"I am Blade, faster than any blade in this world or the next. You'd have lived longer if you remembered that"_

Every single one of them has blood splattered across them; some of it was spilt by the enemy, but most was spilt by their own blades.

Red's burned body struggles to draw breath, his face is as white as a ghost, but his lips are turning bluer with each passing second. The armour and robes against his chest have been burned away, as has the skin and surrounding flesh. His ribs remain relatively intact, each remains in a single piece, but they are all cracked and splintered in places.

Lily's eyes don't allow her to see his face; they're firmly locked onto the brutal wound on his chest and abdomen. The burns prevent blood from escaping, that could very well be the only thing keeping him alive right now.

Using her staff as a walking stick, she moves as fast as her drained body will allow her. She's barely even moving at all, she's so exhausted. But she can't give up, she must keep fighting, if for nothing else than for her brother's life. Without healing he'll be dead in a matter of minutes, he may be able to heal himself, but then he'll be left with brutal scars and the pain from the wound. If she does it, then it'll be like nothing ever happened.

"Get your lazy ass up… You can rest once we've cleared out this city" She said weakly, but with a hint of joy.

Lacking the strength to lift or turn his head, all he can do is lie there, as the pain from his heart intensifies. Along with the fresh pain, the sensation of having his chest crushed by the weight of a Snorlax also grows stronger; with each passing second it gets harder and harder to draw a breath. Pain is shooting down his left arm, beginning in his shoulder and ending at his elbow. The unmistakable taste of metal assaults his tongue.

Red is undoubtedly stupid, but even he knows what these symptoms add up to. He's having a second heart attack in as many days; maybe this one will end his life once again. Maybe the invincible monster will finally die… Again.

Summoning the last shreds of energy he has, along with the last of the air in his lungs, he makes one final attempt to preserve what little dignity and pride he has left. "I'll rest… When I'm dead again" His voice gives out before he can finish, he does not draw another breath. His lungs are paralysed.

The world around him seems to fade away, as he falls through a bottomless pit or emptiness. His eyes widen as he tries to breath, but gets no response from his lungs, the non-existent weight on his chest prevents him from taking another gasp of life giving air.

Fear stabs into Lily's gut, she can hear it in his voice, he's even weaker than she first thought. She pushes on harder, determined to reach him.

The battle has just begun, Red lies on the ground, but a breath away from death. Lily can barely even walk, let alone fight anymore and the only other Knight in this city is nowhere to be found. What chance do they have to survive this ordeal? What chance is there for this city? What chance is there for anyone to make it out of here alive?

Pushing these thoughts from her mind, she staggers on, determined to fight until her dying breath.

Those who were forced to watch the twins fight for their lives return to their senses, one by one they realise that Red's in serious trouble and desperately needs medical attention.

Lucario is the first to recover, as well as the first to make a move to help. He may be too old to fight, but he can still do what he does best, heal. Serena and Delia quickly join him and make their way towards the twins, not knowing if there's anything they can do, but finding themselves compelled to try. Bonnie recovers next, she tries to pull on her brother's leg to coax him into moving, but he has yet to regain his senses.

As Lily reaches her brother's feet, her eyes fill with horror as she sees his face. Instantly recognising his blue lips as the primary symptom for heart problems, she's able to put two and two together. "Shit" She muttered.

Ignoring the searing exhaustion and fatigue in her body, she locks her knees in place, stopping them from giving out under her own weight. She lifts her staff from the confines of the earth and turns it in her hands to aim the crystal at his wounds.

Still unable to breathe, and thus speak, Red manages to force a cold glare onto his face. Despite his wounds and heart problems, his pride won't let him be healed by anyone. More than that though, he's afraid. "(For the love of god, Charizard stop her now!)" He said to his partner via Message.

With a swift and powerful flap of his wings, Charizard floats through the air to meet them both. _"Don't be so stubborn! Put your pride away for one fucking minute! If you don't you'll fucking die!"_

A faint pink glow shines from the crystal, his wounds are bathed in its warming and soft touch, instantly his pain begins to ease. Fear stabs into his chest, far worse than any blade or heart pain. "(Charizard, _please_ stop her. They can't see me. Please.)" He begged.

The fire dragon shakes his head, with his eye narrowed in on Red. _"No fucking way. If she doesn't do this, then you'll bite the big one… Again, and this time you won't come back. What's a little… Humiliation, compared to your life?"_

While she cannot understand the growls coming from him, Lily doesn't care. All that matters is that she heals her brother's wounds and fixes the problems with his heart. Judging by the look on his face, he doesn't want her to heal him. "You can be pissed with me… After you're on your feet again"

His exposed ribs reseal themselves under the warm glow, restored to the way they were before this happened. Next his flesh rebuilds itself, forming a fresh layer of muscle and tissue. The horrific pain in his heart abandons him, taking with it the shooting pain in his arm and metallic taste in his mouth, leaving him with only the crushing sensation on his chest.

Fear drives Serena ahead of the others; she reaches Lily's side before the others can even see his wounds. All three of them, Lily, Serena and Charizard, watch as his flesh is completely healed, back to the way it was before the attack. The muscles look deformed and twisted, like something has ripped them from his body and then sown them back on.

His skin regrows across his body, covering his muscles and revealing the source of his fear. His body carries many battle scars, deep and old scars that show he has been through many difficult battles.

The blue fades from his lips, as his blood flows through his body once again. The crushing sensation lifts from his body, releasing its hold on his lungs and allowing him to breathe again. He takes the biggest gulp of air that his lungs can take in, revelling in what countless take for granted each and every minute of every day. To be able to breathe again, to take in air, it's a relief he can never describe.

The pain in his heart has vanished, leaving his heart the way it was before last night, it actually feels stronger than it did before he even left the forest.

Delia and Lucario finally reach them; leaving Clemont and Bonnie behind, as they reach them Lily finishes off healing him. Their eyes all focus on the same thing, the horrific scars across his torso.

The biggest and deepest of his scars resides on his chest, it's far too cleanly cut for it have been inflicted anything but some kind of blade. A massive X has been stabbed into his chest, starting at his shoulders and ending at his abdomen. There are several smaller scars across his pectoral muscles, clearly inflected by various blades and claws; they pale in comparison to the biggest scar.

His abdomen has many deep scars as well, clearly inflicted by whatever gave him the X shaped scar. Sections of his flesh look as though they've been cut away, and then put back in place. There are also smaller scars, these have clearly been inflicted by claws or fangs, again they pale in comparison to the other scars across his body.

Finally there is another, far deeper scar across his right collar, it seems to begin at the front of his chest and climb back over his back. This scar was undoubtedly caused by a blade; whoever did it certainly knew what they were doing.

Serena's hungry eyes don't linger on the scars for too long, her attention is drawn to his muscular frame. She thought he'd look like a freakish body builder, but he doesn't. He has great muscle tone, not so much that he'll rip his clothes by flexing, but enough to show he lives a very active lifestyle, which makes sense considering where he lives. He looks just like she always dreamed he would, strong but not freakishly so. Her cheeks burn brightly, her knees buckle under her own weight and her mouth hangs open, allowing a thin trial of drool to fall out. A squeak of delight escapes her lips, which goes unnoticed by the rest of them.

His body visibly trembles as they maul him with their eyes, he doesn't have a lot of strength, but he has enough to conceal the object of their focus. His robes reform across his body, blocking his flesh and scars from sight. With a pulse of red light, his armour reforms across his body as well.

Serena groans slightly in disappointment, which again goes unnoticed by the others.

Finding he has more strength than he thought he would, after concealing his scars from sight, he rolls himself onto his stomach and pushes himself up to his feet. His breathing picks up, snorting in and out through his nose. Anger boils in his veins, anger which is firmly fixed on Charizard for his betrayal. The dragon knows of his phobia, he can't stand anyone looking at his body, so why would he deliberately let them see his scars?

He slowly turns around, his face black as thunder, and snarls at Charizard. "You bastard. I'll make you suffer for this. Just you wait, I'll have revenge" He thought bitterly.

Turning his sights towards those who saw him, he points a trembling finger into their faces aggressively. "Don't. Just don't fucking say a word. You all saw nothing, you hear me? NOTHING! There is _nothing_ to see, so you saw nothing. You don't talk about _nothing_ , 'cause there was _nothing_ to see. You fucking understand me?!" He barked, with an undeniable core of fear.

They all just stare at him, with wide eyes, with the exception of the golden haired siblings who missed the sight. Each of them heard his fear, this is obviously a touchy subject for him, there must be a horrific memory behind these scars. A memory he doesn't want to revisit.

The silence between them is broken by the faint whimpering's off a single survivor. Red's neck cracks, as he bolts his head round to glare at the lone Paladin, who's trying vainly to crawl away to safety.

A single Paladin survived Lily's devastating attack; his torso has no serious wounds, just some minor cuts and slashes. His legs however, they are badly mangled; they look as though a Rhyhorn has run over them repeatedly. As he struggles to crawl, he leaves behind a thick trail of blood from his crushed legs, even if by some miracle he escaped, they would easily hunt him down, if he doesn't bleed to death first.

Delia's hands clamp down over her mouth; the shock of seeing her son's scared body has stolen her voice from her. She has been swallowed by this shock so deeply, that she can't even hear the whimpers than have drawn his attention away. "You don't get scars like those without being in one Hell of a knife fight… Who did this to you Red?" She thought.

If Lucario is shocked by the sight he has just witnessed, it is well hidden behind his mask of composure. Inside his heart is heavy; it would seem his worst fears came true a long time ago. His Master's vision did not lie, Red faced the worst thing he ever could have and survived. Perhaps if he had forewarned him of it, it could have been avoided… Then perhaps he would still be the same boy they all miss so much, and not this cold man before them.

He pushes these thoughts from his mind, and turns to face his granddaughter. _"Why did you spare one of them?"_

Ignoring his question, Lily rests the end of her staff against Red's chest, drawing his attention back to her. " _You_ owe us an explanation. Why the fuck didn't you tell us you have a heart condition?!"

He offers nothing but a hard, emotionless stare in response to her question. Even as the rest of them panic and throw questions at him, he refuses to do anything but stare at her without saying a word.

Lily silently scowls back at him for a moment. "Grampa, we need a prisoner to interrogate. So I spared one of them. Got a problem with that Red?" She asked firmly and bitterly.

He finally breaks his icy stare with a swift and sharp turn of his head towards the Grunt, who continues to struggle to get away from this place. Without saying a single word, Red darts towards the helpless Grunt, with bloodlust written across his face and burning in his eyes. As he goes, Lily slumps her staff over her shoulder and focuses her attention on the crippled Paladin as well. "I guess not"

Without hesitation or mercy, the exposed foot of Red Ketchum slams down onto the shattered remains of the only surviving Grunt's leg, earning him a howl of agonising pain as his reward. The Grunt looks over his shoulder, to see the one he fears more than anything else right now pinning him to the ground. Complete and utter terror has written itself across his face, as tears build in his eyes.

Lacking the energy to use the majority of her abilities, Lily makes her way towards her brother the old fashioned way, by walking. As she walks towards him, with her staff slumped over her shoulder, Red pushes his foot down harder on the shattered limb. A fresh wave of blood oozes out from the Grunt's wounds, staining Red's foot deep crimson as it does.

The howls of agony and cries for mercy only drive Red's bloodlust further; he revels in the pain of his helpless prey. He feeds off the cries, off the pain and off the pleas, growing stronger from it all.

Lily reaches her brother's side, having seen him causing pain for no reason, without even demanding information, she glares coldly at him. "You've had your fun. We need information from him. Let him go" She spat venomously. He returns her cold glare; he still holds resentment for her healing him against his will.

"Fine" He spat, as he lifted his foot from his prey. With a single swift kick, the Grunt is rolled onto his back and left open to attack.

In a blink of an eye, Red's claw like fingers lung down and coil around the throat of the defenceless Grunt. With the strength of a Warrior, he hauls the Paladin up into the air and stares him dead in the eye. Sweat pours down the face of the terrified Grunt; tears threaten to break free from his eyes and stream down his face.

His legs hang down from his waist, completely useless and coated in thick blood. Even with healing, his legs don't have a hope for a full recovery, he'll never walk again. That doesn't matter though, it's not like he's going to live to see the sun again, he'll die here, today, alongside his brothers in arms.

Red tilts his head to the side, curious as to why his prey isn't trying to escape. Perhaps he has realised that he's not getting away and is resigned to his fate. Regardless, he needs information from him and he's going to get it. "You have a choice. A slow and painful death or a quick and painless one. Make your choice" His voice is dark and definitive, there is no room for negotiation.

"TALK NOW!" Lily bellowed into his face. Most of the others have turned their heads away, not wanting to watch the Grunt's pain. Only Lucario watches, he watches with keen interest, just how will they extract the information from him?

"Why should I tell ya anythin'? I'm dead already" The Grunt said. Red tightens his grip slightly, in response the Paladin spits into his face, 'causing Lily to wince in disgust.

The Knight silently and calmly wipes the filth from his face, with an even colder voice he speaks again. "Wrong answer" Without hesitation or the slightest hint of mercy, he hurls the Grunt through the air and into the trunk of a tree. With a new howl of agony, he drops to the ground, his already crushed legs crunch as they hit the floor.

The howls of pain cause a wave of cringing throughout them all, with the exception of Red, who seems to enjoy the sound. The Knight in question quickly scans the surface of the surrounding trees, searching for the perfect branch. "There you are" He thought with diabolical pleasure.

He quickly makes his way towards a tree with a low, but strong branch protruding from its trunk. The branch is strong enough to hold weight, but thin enough to allow him to break it. He snaps the branch off, leaving nothing but a splintered stump behind.

The Paladin watches Red work, terrified beyond imagining. "I DON'T KNOW NOTHIN'!" He pleaded.

The young Knight ignores his plea; instead he snatches his ankle and begins to drag him towards the tree he readied moments ago. The Grunt cries out for mercy and pleads for his life, all the while clawing desperately at the ground in a vain attempt for freedom. His earlier acceptance of death has apparently died, replaced by an overwhelming fear of Yveltal's talons.

His cries for mercy and his life fall on deaf ears, still he continues to plead, if nothing else it helps him to handle the incredible pain in his legs. The Knight continues to drag his prey through the blood soaked earth, his anger and furry only growing stronger as time goes on.

Even the blood flowing through his callous covered hands doesn't ease the strength of his grasp; they reach their target in moments, which feel like an eternity for the Grunt. Red scowls down darkly at his prey, staring into his eyes and devouring his fear, it's delicious. He finally releases him and drops his blood soaked limb to the ground. "Squeal little Tepig… SQUEAL!" He bellowed.

The Paladin shakes his head desperately, shaking his tears free as he does. "I don't know nothin' I swear" He cried. "Have mercy on me"

Unconvinced or moved by his plea, Red crouches down before his mangled legs and grins darkly. He strikes quickly and without mercy, slamming his elbow down onto the Grunt's left knee, snapping the joint and bending it backwards in the process. The howls of agony echo through the warzone, along with the sound of crunching bone.

"I don't have time for bullshit. Hurry up and SQUEAL!"

The broken Paladin before the Knight desperately tries to draw breath; the pain is just so intense that his body is barely listening to him. "OK… OK… I'll talk" He wheezed.

Without giving him the chance to start talking, the young Knight slams his other elbow down onto the Paladin's other knee, also shattering it and bending it backwards. The Paladin's eyes widen in pain and shock, the pain has reached the point where his body refuses to do anything, he can't breathe, he can't scream, he can't cry and he can't move. He can only lie there, in absolute agony, pondering the reason for such brutality. He said he'd talk, why did this guy have to that to him?

With narrowed eyes and blood covered limbs and armour, Red simply growls out a message. "Well, start talking"

The Paladin looks down at his shattered limbs, if this psychotic bastard is willing to break his already broken legs, what'll he do to give him a slow death? It's better to just tell him what he wants to know, at least then he'll kill him quickly. "We're… Just followin' Eis' orders. None of us know why we're doin' this, I swear we're just follin' orders"

Red simply growls in response, then shakes his head slowly. "Bullshit. I know a lie when I hear it" He grabs the Paladins sides and hoists him up into the air, turns on the spot and slams his spine into the splintered branch. The branch stabs through his spine and into his organs, the sound of bone crunching and flesh tearing is more than enough to make those in the battlefield, who aren't accustomed to battle, lose their breakfast.

Lily is one of the few who manages to keep her food inside her belly, but she's still horrified by the raw brutality Red has shown here today. Breaking his legs was bad enough, as it wasn't necessary, but then impaling him on that tree branch… Well it's enough to send chills down her spine. Lucario remains perfectly calm; he's seen torture before, while it's gruesome, it is sometimes necessary. While he doesn't agree with Red's methods, the results will be worth it, besides, it's not as though he's hurting a person.

The male who's torturing his victim, grabs his throat, much tighter than before and screeches into his face. "BULLSHIT! Eis' ego's way too big for him _not_ to brag about his plans! SQUEAL! Tell me why he's doing this!"

The shock and agonising pain of having his spine severed by a tree, has stolen the Paladin's ability to speak. He can only stare, wide eyed with his jaw hanging open, at the bloodthirsty Monster interrogating him.

Taking his silence as a sign that he needs more persuasion, Red decides to kick things up a notch. "Charizard, you got room for some more?" He asked without taking his eyes off his prey.

The eye of the fire dragon with a missing eye and a battle worn body, lights up and sparkles in excitement at the thought of more food. _"YAY!"_

Without even waiting for the lumbering dragon's response, the left hand of the sadistic Knight dives through the protective armour. His hand easily pierces the metal, with nothing to show for it but some minor scratches. His fingers easily slice through the metal, so the flesh has no chance whatsoever against it, there is nothing to stop him in his search for the precious organ inside.

The tortured Paladin finally regains his speaking ability, as well as the use of his arms. He grabs Red's arm, desperately trying to pull him out of his flesh. "MERCY! HAVE MERCY!" He pleaded desperately.

The word that pleads for compassion, for kindness, for leniency and for his life, only serves to infuriate the Knight even further. The word echoes through his blood drunk mind, driving his furry to new heights. "MERCY?! MERCY! DID YOU SHOW MERCY TO THOSE WHO BEGGED FOR THEIR LIVES?! HOW MANY HAVE YOU SLAUGHTERED WHO BEGGED AT YOUR FEET FOR MERCY?! YOU DESERVE AND SHALL RECEIVE **NO MERCY!** "

Heat surges through his hand and fingers; they quickly reach scalding temperatures, burning the Grunt from the inside out.

Red's anger over the word mercy, echo's throughout Serena's mind, dragging up the memory of when Red did the same thing to Calem, difference is what he did then was punishment for a horrific crime, now he's doing it to get information. At the time she put it down to overpowering rage, but it seems Red has a cruel and sadistic streak running through him, a streak that revels in causing pain and suffering. It turns her stomach over.

As a rush of joy passes through him, his lips tug either side to form a dark smile. Making this piece of shit suffer is so exhilarating, the last time he got to do this, he was denied the best part, well that won't happen this time. "It hurts, doesn't it?... You want it to stop?... Give Daddy what he wants… SQUEAL!"

Having been pushed to his breaking point, any and all resistance the Grunt has dissolves away. "OK OK OK! I GIVE UP! I SURRENDER! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!"

Red twists his hand inside the Paladin's flesh, enjoying the feeling of his blood on his hand. "SQUEAL LITTLE TEPIG!"

The Grunt's hands slide off Red's arm, his head drops down and stares him dead in the eye. With a calm and collected voice, he speaks, as though he's talking to an old friend. "Master Eis ordered us to destroy this city, to kill every living thing here that has not sworn loyalty to the Eternal Master… We're sacrificing them to him, sending him their Aura, to fuel his rebirth"

The Knight's hand freezes in place for a moment, he had suspected this. He partially pulls his hand out, then thrusts it in harder, earning a scream of agony from his victim. "WHY?!" He hissed. "Why're you feeding that sick fucker?!"

The Grunts grins darkly through the pain, it's his turn to revel in the anguish of others. "Why? Why would we give our Master, the one true god, power?... Because he's coming back… Soon he will be free from his prison… Soon, the filth of this world will be destroyed, leaving only us… Then, the entire world will be bathed in the cleansing touch of darkness"

His words draw in both Lily and Lucario's attention, the same question runs through their minds. What does he mean? Lily runs to Red's side, to make sure that she gets an answer to her question before he finishes him off. "WHAT?! What'd you mean he's coming back?! He was destroyed centuries ago!" She screamed. "We slaughtered him!"

"Hehehehehe… Your kind always thinks you've killed 'im for good. You forget he's immortal… You forget he's a god" The Grunt said, then spat a mouthful of blood over them both.

Lily wipes the blood from her face and scowls darkly at the scum her brother is torturing, she wants more than anything right now to make him hurt, she wants to switch places with Red and be the one inflicting pain. But she stays her hand, and allows her brother to do it in her place.

He twists his hand inside the flesh of the Paladin, and digs his fingers in deeper. "The fuck does that mean?! SPEAK PROPERLY!"

The Paladin lowers his head and locks his eyes onto Red's cold and empty orbs. His voice is but a whisper, but with their advanced hearing, all of the Knights here can hear him. "He's coming… The time is drawing near now, the Eternal Master of Darkness _will_ return to this world… Master Eis is preparing for his return… As are the other Masters, we will slaughter as many as we can, sacrificing them to the Eternal Master… So when he comes back to us, none of you will stop him. He will be far too powerful for any of you to stop… Even that pathetic excuse for a _BITCH_ won't be able to touch him!... Soon, the Master will destroy then world, then he will cleanse it in darkness and give birth to the new world of darkness"

Before Red can kill the Paladin for speaking about Mew like that, Lucario sprints between him and Lily, moving so fast the eye could barely follow him. With the speed of a Yanmega, he jams his walking stick into the Grunt's throat, forcing his head up. _"We destroyed that bastard…"_ His voice is strong and powerful. _"Two hundred years ago… Oh god"_ All traces of strength and power vanishes from his voice, replaced by fear and realisation.

The smirk across the Paladin's face doesn't waver in the slightest, if anything it's growing stronger. "Yes… Two hundred years ago… You know what that means don't you?... He will soon be free… You fools can only bind him in his prison for so long… Soon you will begin to feel it for yourselves, he is coming… He is coming" He whispered.

The blood drains form the eldest Knight and Lily's faces, as they realise he may be telling the truth. If he is, then what's happening now will be nothing but a drop in the ocean, if the Eternal Master _is_ coming back to this world, then…

Their thoughts are interrupted, by the howls of agony made by their prisoner.

Red's hand delves deeper into the flesh of his victim, seeking out his prize. He finds the desired organ within seconds, which feel like years for the Paladin. The fleshy prize is quickly enveloped by the Knight's fingers, they threaten to rip it out from its home and expose it to the elements, all it will take is a single yank… Just one pull… So fragile, so weak, so… Pathetic.

"I know that's not the truth, not the whole truth. I know Eis, if he just wanted to kill then he'd join the fight himself. But he's not. He's waiting at that tall thing. Why?... SQUEAL!"

Feeling his fingers wrap around his vital organ, the Paladin male lungs his hands forwards and digs his icy fingers into his oppressors face, spreading his own blood as he does. "He's… After someone. Someone who got away from him, a long time ago… He always finishes what he starts, and this guy won't escape him for long" He hissed weakly, as death begins to claim his soul.

The interrogator smirks darkly, having heard no lies in his voice or traces of deceit; he no longer has a use for this scum. "Good little Tepig… I think you've earned a reward"

Before either Lily or Lucario can end their prisoners suffering, Red tightens his grip on the mangled remains of a Paladin's liver and rips it out of his husk of a body. He carefully examines it, making note of how unhealthy it looks, before hurling it through the air. The fleshy treat is quickly snapped up by Charizard, who instantly begins to much away on it.

The dark crimson fluid floods from the wound left behind, staining the armour and flesh of those close enough to be hit by it. The mangled Paladin desperately claws at his wound to try and stem the bleeding. "But I told you what you wanted to know!" He cried out in agony.

The empty and dead eyes of the Knight drill into the darkness filled eyes of the dying Paladin. "Yeah you did… And you earned your reward, a slow and painful death. If you kept your mouth shut, I would have rewarded your strength with a quick death… But you broke; you broke like a twig. You are a traitor and die a traitor's death"

The Paladin opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes forth is blood. There are no words to describe the betrayal he feels, he spilled his guts to him, told him everything he wanted to know, and he repays him by ripping out his organs and feeding them to that fat dragon… What did he expect? Humans are notorious for their betrayal, only darkness can be trusted. He manages to summon enough strength to send one last message before he dies.

"(Humanity was born from darkness, _he_ created you all… Your kind owes him your loyalty, just as mine does. He designed you to be weak. To be pathetic. To be cattle for his power… Ugh!... S-s-s-soon… You'll feel his power… For yourselves)" He weakly rasped, via broad Message. Allowing them all to hear his final words.

Red stares into his eyes, as the light begins to leave them. "Is that it? Tell us your Master created us?... Well he may have changed us, but _humans_ were created by Mew and Arceus, not _him_. He just modified us a little… As for your kind, you simply look like us. You're nothing like humans. Now shut up and die"

As the last drops of his blood drain from his body, the Paladin takes his final breath. The light leaves his eyes, as he dies.

With a dark smirk, Red spits in the eye of his latest victim, then turns his back on the corpse. As his Grampa and sister's faces fill his sights, he notes on how little blood seems to be in their faces. Clearly this has affected them worse than it did him.

With a snap of his fingers, he catches their attention. "Hey, hey, eyes focused. We kill Eis, we destroy any of these pieces of shit that get in the way. We end this nightmare now"

Lucario slowly nods his head in agreement; his mind is once again focused on the task at hand. _"I agree, if Eis is defeated there will be nothing holding the rest of them here. He should be our focus, not these drones"_

She puts the disturbing scene out of her mind; she can't focus on things like that right now. Once this is done, _then_ she can be disturbed by the darkness in her brother's actions. She turns to face the tower, with her staff still slumped over her shoulder. "Who gets to fight him then?"

Red silently stalks across the battlefield, kicking the bodies of the fallen Paladins into rough piles as he goes. His objective is to retrieve his swords, without them he's like a lion without fangs or claws, useless. "Me. I'm killing that sick bastard. Besides I'm the only one who's faced him before"

The initial shock and rush of adrenaline of watching that torture wears off Lily, leaving her body wracked in fatigue. She stabs her staff into the earth to balance herself and lean on. Seeing this, Lucario holds his free paw up and begins to heal her. _"I may be too old to fight, but I can still heal and restore stamina. Take a rest Lily, you've certainly earned it"_

Blue pulses wash over her tired body, restoring her strength and replenishing her energy. "Thanks Grampa. Red I saw your fight with him; he's not that tough… Especially for a Fear Master, he's fucking weak"

As Red picks up his swords, a surge of heat flows through his tired and aching limbs, as weapon and man become one once again. "You think that was a fight? Ha. That was barely even a warm up; he didn't even use any ice on me. No. He was trying to do something, don't know what, but he was after something. If he really wanted to fight, then the… House? I think that's it, would have been destroyed. I held back so I didn't break too much shit, but Eis… Fuck knows what he was after, but it certainly wasn't a good fight. He's far stronger than he looks. You fight him, you die"

The aging Lucario lowers his paw, a thin trail of sweat runs down his fur, while he's tired, he's proud that he's been able to contribute in some small way. Lily nods at him, to show her thanks, then slumps her staff back over her shoulder and glares at her brother. "Are you calling me fucking weak?!"

With a roll of his eyes and a twirl of his swords, Red speaks again with a bored tone. "No. _I'm_ fighting him. End of"

She slowly shakes her head in frustration, as she makes her way towards the others. "There better be a _really_ good reason why I can't fight him… I've never had the pleasure of killing a Fear Master"

The young Bonnie finally finds her voice; the shock of what just happened is finally starting to wear off. She looks around, making sure the guys dressed strangely are really dead. "You…. You two…. You killed them"

All eyes turn to her; the twins both know that this must be terrifying for her, for them all. They're no strangers to battle, they're both used to the thrill of bloodshed as well as the rush of dealing a fatal blow…. The negative effects barely even make an appearance anymore.

Bonnie releases her grip on Clemont, clenches her fists together and starts jumping up and down on the spot in excitement. Her eyes sparkle in astonishment. "THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!"

Everyone there is surprised by this sudden change in attitude, they were all expecting her to break down and start crying…. Instead she's happy.

She pumps her tiny fists out in the air, as she starts air boxing. "It's like we're in an action movie! You guys ROCK!... But, what did he mean? About people?"

Before any of those who have taken up the fight, have the chance to do anything but sweatdrop at her enthusiasm for battle, and wonder how to answer her questions without revealing too much information, Chatot returns. A man dressed in robes and armour similar to Lily's follows the multi-coloured bird, the only real difference between his robes and armour to Lily's is the colour, his is forest green.

His eyes are chocolate brown; they seem to be filled with the unmistakable sense of fear. His head is shiny, from a distinctive lack of hair, seems he's totally bald. His scrawny build suggests his muscles are rather weak. His dark skin reflects what little light there is better than either Red or Lily's does.

His weapon of choice confirms that, like Lily, he too is a Mage. His staff resembles a long tree branch, there is no blade attached to the base, the top of it has what looks like smaller branches protruding from it, each one holds a tiny fragment of a crystal.

While it is undoubtedly a staff, this is by no means the same kind of staff as Lily wields. This kind of staff is made for Apprentices; it allows the same basic functions as a full staff, but it isn't nearly as powerful. No blade is attached to it, to prevent injury when learning to wield the weapon. Rather than having a full crystal atop it, said crystal is broken and the pieces are split apart. This allows the power to be wielded, but it weakens it and prevents a lethal attack from being formed accidentally.

The multi-coloured bird Pokémon swoops down before his trainer, his tail feathers wagging quickly as he does. _"You've got no idea how long it took to get him out of his hiding hole. Speaking of which, the shit's splattering on the fan right now… Blaziken's holding up well by the tower, he's taken down about four Donphan and a Tyranitar, these guys dish out a lot of power, but they quickly pass out when kicked in the gut"_

Lily offers a quick nod of understanding. "Well what are you still floating around for? Get your feathers out there and help him! Tell any humans that can walk to come here where it's safe. WELL GO ALREADY!"

He rolls his eyes and nods his head. _"Yes your majesty"_ He said sarcastically, before darting off towards the trees again.

The man dressed in green stares at Red in disbelief, his eyes fill with stars as he nervously points towards him. "Oh my god… You're him; you're Mew's apprentice… The legend himself, Red Ketchum" He whispered.

With a flash of red, the tip of Red's right sword presses lightly into the man's throat. "If you want to live, then stop worrying about who I am, and focus on killing. You understand me?" His voice is strong and powerful, there is no room for argument.

The man in green nervously and carefully nods his head, while Lily simply shakes hers with a sigh. "We don't have time for arguments, we'll trade introductions properly later. Red this is Willey, Willey Red. Now can we do our jobs and kill these fuckers?"

With a second blur of red, the sword is pulled from Willey's throat. His eyes fill with even more stars of amazement. "Wow… Red just threatened me"

"If you're a Knight then where's your partner?" Red asked with annoyance in his voice.

The male mage shakes his head, to clear his mind of unimportant thoughts. Lily's right, they have a job to do and he can't be star struck right now… Once this is over he can ask for Red's autograph. "Greninja's already out there, she left a while ago to kill as many of these…. Things, as she can"

Without waiting to hear his explanation, Red turns to face Blade. "Blade you're on guard duty. We'll send all survivors who can walk here, you gotta protect them all"

The pincer Pokémon nods his head in agreement. _"Since I'm the only who actually defends himself from attacks, I know a few things about defence. I'll keep them all safe Master"_

Red's eyes dart towards the great lumbering dragon, who has finished his liver and is currently licking the blood off his claws. "Fat ass! You're with me; we're going to the top of the tower"

The dragon in question folds his wings in close to his body and crosses his arms defiantly. _"Give me one reason why I should even consider carrying your heavy ass around anywhere. Come on I challenge you to"_

The Knight with the glowing red blades narrows his eyes, as they flush with a blood red glow. "I can feel that powerful opponent is out there. You take me to the top of the tower; I'll take you to 'em. Deal?"

Excitement fills the fiery dragon's face, he grins broadly. His wings spread out wide and flood with blood, they yearn to flap and split the air in two. His hands clench into fists and his arms pull themselves out to the sides. His mighty jaws rip apart and expel the deepest flames from the pit of his stomach. _"DDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"_

While the two of them agree on the terms of helping each other, Lily tries to ensure the safety of their friends and family. "Bonnie, if we survive this battle, I promise I'll explain everything to you… Even what that bastard said. Until then, you need to stay here; all of you need to stay here. It's safe… Ish, here. No arguments, you're all staying here"

Before any of the blood soaked fighters or watchers have the chance to speak another word, a cold and icy voice echoes throughout the burning city, sending chills down their spines. "I see that there are unwanted guests here, in _my_ city… You and your kind are nothing but a cancer, destroying that which you don't understand!"

The blood drains from many of their faces, those who are accustomed to battle stand strong, but turn to Red. Looking for signs of strength, for leadership, for something to tell them what's going on. He recognises that voice; it's the voice of the man he hates more than any other, with the exception of the Beast. "Eis" He hissed.

Eis' voice carries on, continuing to chill the spines of those who hear him. "Boy… You have been interfering in my delicate plans for far too long, killing my drones, destroying my Pokémon, breaking my shit… Meddling in affairs that I have spent decades on… Well no more"

The apprentice with the shiny head clutches his staff with both hands, his entire body trembles. Something's coming, he can feel it in his bones, and whatever it is, it's not goanna be good.

"I know you're here Boy… I can smell your fear… It's such a sweet scent, second only to the scent of your blood… I have stayed my hand from this battle so far, I have allowed my drones to kill in my name, an honour not many are granted….. And yet you kill them, you crush them like bugs… I know you Boy, better than you know yourself; you are a very proud _boy_ …. You're not even trying to kill them; the drones are far too weak… You want a true challenge, something to test your full power against"

"Well… I can give it to you… I challenge you Boy, right here, right now. Single combat, to the death… Come to me, seek me out and we will settle the score… But, if you decide to be a coward and don't come to me… Then I will join the fray myself and hunt you down…. The choice is yours Boy, come to me, or I come to you. Make your choice"

The 'Boy' in question chuckles lowly to himself, as he slowly shakes his head. "Some things never change" He muttered.

Lily turns to her brother with confusion written across her face. "Is that sick bastard talking to you Red?" With a swift and decisive nod of his head, he answers her question.

"I warn you Boy… If you chose to let me come to you, I will destroy every living thing in my path, none shall be spared. Make your choice, and make it fast…. If you survive my servant's wrath"

* * *

Elsewhere in this dying city, the newly possessed Garchomp hears her new Master's voice and feels an unmistakable pull to go to him. The lab around her has been shut down, every single entrance and exist has been boarded up and every Pokémon here is ready for battle.

P. Sycamore and his assistants are all readying themselves for one Hell of a fight; the poor fools are relying on Garchomp's power, seeing as she's the strongest Pokémon they have. Normally she wouldn't hesitate to protect her home, she wouldn't hesitate to die for her baby, whom she has named Chomp. But now, her loyalties have been forcibly changed. Thanks to that strange assistant, who said those words to her and passed along Eis' message to her… That strange man with the scar on his cheek is long gone, he disappeared during the night.

Her free will has been stolen from her; she can no longer control her own body. She can't even comfort her crying baby, who is squeaking up at her, pleading for her to hug him and make him feel better. All she can do is wait for the command from her Master.

Within minutes of hearing his voice, she feels what she has been waiting for, the darkness trapped inside of her pulls her into acting, she turns towards the boarded up entryway.

Her jaws open wide and form a ball of black energy, with a ghostly purple hue around it. A Hyper Beam attack, the power of which is boosted from the darkness inside her. The deadly attack rips the flimsy blockade apart, like tissue paper. An ear splitting explosion destroys the entryway and kills many of the assistants, and injuring those who survive it.

The explosion knocks back everyone in the room, including Garchomp herself. Once the smoke clears, several bodies lie broken on the ground, many with foreign objects protruding from them. Some of them are still alive but wounded. P. Sycamore lies on the ground, covered in soot and cuts, he was lucky enough to only receive flesh wounds from the attack.

The purple land dragon runs through the smoking exist she made, leaping into the air and angling her fins to catch the air. She glides through the air, towards her Master.

The scared and confused baby Chomp slowly waddles out of the smoking hole, looking around at the carnage around him with tears in his eyes. He calls out as loud as his little lungs will allow him to, desperate for his mother to come back to him. When no one answers his calls, he hesitantly waddles out of the rubble, looking around for Garchomp.

* * *

Blade stands before those who cannot protect themselves from the power of the Paladins; he has his back to them and holds his pincers high to maintain the bubble of pulsing green energy that covers them all. The sweet little Bonnie raises an eyebrow at him. "If you can use Protect, why didn't you use it to help Lily?" He looks over his shoulder to glare at the child; she holds her hands up defensively. "Point taken"

The colossal jaws of a mighty steel snake like Pokémon crashes down onto the shimmering shield, trying to bite their way through it and get to the soft fleshy humans inside. The owner of the jaws, a Steelix, at least thirty feet in length, with a massive head filled with rather dull brick like teeth.

From the side lines, the two mages hurl Bolts from their staffs at the beast; their attacks leave tiny scorch marks on the steel hide, but do little else. Regardless, they continue to fire attack after attack at the leviathan, even if they can only chip away at it, it's better than nothing.

The male Knight sprints towards the beast's head, from behind the Protect shield. With a powerful kick off the earth, he leaps forwards with his blades raised high, ready to boor through the Steelix's head.

Without any trace of hesitation, his blades crash down into the steel covered hide of the Steelix. They barely even pierce the tough outer shell, but hold a strong enough grip to prevent them from escaping.

The leviathan abandons his newest chew toy raise his head up high, a splitting headache overcomes him, the cause of which appears to be nothing but an irritating bug. He shakes his head wildly, in an attempt to shake the insect off.

Charizard swoops in low, taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, he coats his fist in fire then uppercuts the Steelix with his Fire Punch, dealing massive damage to him.

The impact from that one blow is strong enough to lift the great weight of Steelix's head up high, so high Red has to dig his feet in and hold the hilts of his swords tightly, just to stop himself from falling off. The Steel leviathan quickly catches himself; the sting from that attack remains just as strong as when it first hit him. _"I'll get you for that one you fat fuck!"_

"FLAMETHROWER!" Red commanded, before the Steel beast could counter attack.

The dragon of fire expels the deepest flames from his stomach, right at the great snake's head. The flames hit their mark, forcing it around and through the air. Steelix makes use of the momentum from the attack, to launch one of his own. With a swing of his powerful tail, he sends Charizard crashing into the earth below.

With an almighty thud, a thick cloud of dust rises from the earth. Before the dust even has the chance to begin to settle, Charizard bursts through it, with his Fire Punch attack ready for payback. Steelix opens his jaws wide, pools his Dragon energy into his mouth and forms fierce green flames in his mouth, Dragon Breath.

Sensing the attack building beneath him, Red pulls harder on the swords in his hands, sending pain throughout the beast's head. The momentary distraction gives Charizard the chance he needs to land his attack once more. The impact once again sends Steelix's head flying through the air, towards the earth once again.

The green flames in his mouth die, as he crashes down into the earth, ploughing out the earth as he goes. Seeing their chance, Lily and Willey abandon their attack and switch to a new form of attack. Their eyes glow brightly, as rose pink and forest green chains burst from the earth and wrap around the leviathan, pinning him to the earth and binding him in place.

"NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!" Lily bellowed to her brother.

With a nod of acknowledgement, Red pulls as hard as his powerful arms possibly can against his swords. Steelix writhes around in agony, trying to shakes his chains loose and force the irritating insect off his head, both the chains and Red hold strong.

Lily maintains her focus on her attack, but allows herself to growl in frustration at her brother's idiocy. "HEAT'LL MAKE IT EASIER DUMB ASS! TRY FLAMETHROWER!"

While muttering a death threat under his breath, Red turns towards the fat dragon hovering in the air and gives him an evil glare. "WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?! GIVE ME ALL THE HEAT YOU'VE GOT!"

Charizard quickly gives his trainer the finger in anger, while taking the deepest breath his lungs will allow. He fires the most powerful Flamethrower he can at Red…. And Steelix, seeing as they're in the same place. _"FUCK YOU!"_ The flames quickly envelop both Red and Steelix's head, burning them both intensely.

The Steel snake struggles even harder to break free from his chains, Lily and Willey hold strong and refuse to allow him to break free, the strain of their attack causes sweat to run down their faces. The cries of Steelix echo through the air, ending abruptly after a few moments.

At the same moment his cries end, he stops struggling against his chains, lying motionless on the ground. Charizard doesn't relent in his anger filled attack; he has enough breath left to keep on attacking for several more moments.

Those who are shielded by the Protect bubble can only watch in horror as Red doesn't come through the fire, nor does he make any sounds, something isn't right. Lucario remains perfectly calm; he can clearly feel that Red's Aura isn't getting any weaker, he's perfectly fine.

Red leaps through the flames, both his swords in his hands and coated in thick blood. Fire clings to his armour, trying to burn that which isn't there, his skin and hair remain untouched by the flames. As he lands he rolls, extinguishing any lingering flames on his armour. He quickly stands up, a broad smirk firmly fixed on his face, as pride swells inside him. He quickly raises his swords up either side of him in a victory pose. "I KILLED A MOTHER FUCKING STEELIX! IN YOUR FACE LILY!"

With a heavy slam, Charizard abandons his attack and drops back down to the earth, panting heavily as he does. Not from fatigue, but from using almost all the air in his lungs in a single attack. Two deep gouges remain in the Steelix's skull, which is glowing purple from the heat of that last attack. The Mage Apprentices release their hold over the dead Steel snake, the chains quickly dissolve away.

Seeing that the immediate danger has passed, Blade lowers his pincers and dissolves away his own shield. _"And you were worried about Master"_ Lucario smirks at his Grandson proudly, nodding his head in acknowledgment as he does.

Clemont's jaw hangs open in complete and utter shock. "Did… Did they just kill a Steelix?" He murmured.

Bonnie rolls her eyes at him. "Yeah they did, what's the big deal?" She asked sarcastically.

Delia's eyes roll back into her head, she quickly loses consciousness and falls backwards onto the ground, she lands with a soft thud, which everyone ignores. All the fear that was built up in Serena's heart quickly dissolves away, leaving her with an undeniable sense of amazement. Red's completely unharmed by the battle and the fire, how can that be? Fire even harms Fire type Pokémon, while nowhere near as much as it would any other type, it still causes harm. So why didn't it hurt him?

Red drops his arms and twirls his swords in the air, the loose blood splatters across the ground. He struts confidently towards his sister, his broad smirk still firmly fixed on his face. Lily slumps her staff over her shoulder and rolls her eyes. "So you killed a Steelix… Big deal. Wouldn't have done it unless I told you how though"

He rolls his eyes back at her. "Whatever, we've got work to do" He stops dead and turns to Charizard. "Get your lazy ass up! You don't get out of this! It's an all you can eat Paladin buffet! You really want to miss this?"

That catches Charizard's attention, his eye widens and his tongue falls out of the side of his mouth, he starts panting like an Absol. _"Food…. All I can eat… Oh I'm goanna be fat by the time I'm done"_

Lucario chuckles lowly. _"If you're this fat now, I'd hate to see how fat you get after"_ Blade crosses his arms and chuckles at the comment himself.

Charizard turns on the spot and growls lowly at them both, one of them may be old and the other his brother, but they're on thin ice now. No one calls him fat and gets away with it. _"Say one more word, and I barbeque you both"_ He growled aggressively.

Red quickly makes a beeline for the dragon, to prevent another war from breaking out. "Hey hey hey, easy. Save it for the enemy" As he passes the growling dragon, his gaze fixes itself on his unconscious mother, as if he just noticed that she's passed out.

Charizard does as Red asks; he backs down but continues to growl, if nothing else it makes him feel better. His bloodlust is getting stronger with each passing moment, if he isn't let loose on some Paladins soon, he'll be forced to rip someone else to shreds.

The Warrior makes his way towards the rest of them, his eyes firmly glued to his unconscious mother. He quickly scans her face and checks her breathing; she seems to be perfectly fine. As he does the others turn to her as well, suddenly realising that she passed out. "She's fine" He said quickly and definitively, before turning his attention to Serena instead.

She looks back at him, as she does visions of his exposed body pass through her mind once again, causing a light blush to fall across her cheeks. The both of them are covered in blood, Red has some soot thrown into the mix, and yet she couldn't care less. She got to see him shirtless… At least from the front. A mixture of conflicting emotions flow through her, fear, concern, temptation, exhilaration and a small twist of lust.

He quickly holds his right sword out before her, confused by this strange act, she just stares at it, unsure of what he expects of her. Realising that he's not exactly making his point clear, he returns his other blade to his Aura and takes her hand in his own. He doesn't linger though; he quickly wraps her fingers around the hilt and lightly squeezes her hand against his. Her cheeks burn brightly at the unexpected gesture.

"You take this blade, you don't let it go. You stab it into anything that comes too close to you. You understand me?" He asked firmly, but not aggressively. Concern. His voice is heavy with it.

The gesture made her blood pump harder, the words make her cheeks burn brightly, and the tone sends a chill down her spine. Instantly temptation and lust burst through as the dominant emotions raging inside her. She feels a lump form in her throat, she swallows to try and shift it. "Y-Yes…. Master" She found herself whispering.

He slides his hands away from hers, leaving her holding the blade. She was expecting it to feel heavy in her hand, but it feels weightless, lighter than air. It feels warm to the touch, it's ghostly, yet it feels solid. This weapon is a mystery to her, so much so that she feels she shouldn't be holding it. It feels like it's calling out for Red.

Lucario's eyes widen in disbelief. Did Red just do that? Did he just give her his weapon?... Not just any weapon, the weapon he forged himself with his own Aura, the weapon that is a physical part of him… Words cannot describe the level of trust he has in this woman. No Knight would part with their weapon while they still draw breath, much less a weapon they forged themselves by hand.

Red's eyes linger on the weapon he has just surrendered, feeling an odd sense of missing something important. The best way to describe it is to say he feels naked without the sword. He shuts his eyes and takes a breath to calm himself. "Blade will do everything he can to keep you all safe, but take this blade and strike down anyone who gets close enough to hurt you. You understand?"

She smiles weakly at him and slowly nods her head. "I… I'll….. I'll do my best" She whispered to him.

He opens his eyes and fixes them on hers, rather than on the sword. "Make no mistake Serena; they won't hesitate to kill you… Any of you" He whispered back to her.

Delia groans slightly as she begins to awaken. Lily and Willey both trade freaked out expressions. Like Lucario, they cannot believe that Red has just given Serena a part of himself... He just gave her something that is no doubt sacred to him. "Holy shit" Is all Lily can whisper.

Blade's raising an eyebrow at Red, very surprised by the unexpected gesture. He remains silent, not knowing the proper words to describe his level shock. Charizard rolls his eye at Red; apparently he's not as bothered by this as everyone else is. _"Just fucking mate already… I want to get this done while I'm still young"_

* * *

Red's clawing at the cold concrete with his hands, pulling himself forwards then slamming his feet into the ground to push himself further along, each stride is easier than the last. Lily and Willey have turned themselves into light and are moving either side of the young Warrior. With Charizard flying above them all, the four of them make their way through the burning city.

Red feels like he's lost a limb, to not feel his sword, to know it's not with him, it's a feeling he can't describe. He pushes on through it, if he loses focus on his objective, screw the sword a lot of people will lose a lot more.

"We have to split up! You two will only slow me down!" He shouted so they could hear him over the screams and pleas of the dying.

The rose pink ball of light that is Lily moves in closer to Red. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! SLOW YOU DOWN?! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

The forest green light also moves in closer. "We're not as strong alone; they'll pick us off one by one if we separate"

A group of Paladins see them coming towards them, they charge towards the trio of young Knights. Swords raised and ready to strike.

Red narrows his eyes and snarls at his newest challengers. "STOP YOUR BITCHING!" He jumps to his feet and charges forwards, he extends his left arm and summons his sword.

The first of the Paladin's reaches the trio; Red darts to the right and slashes his sword forwards. The Paladin falls onto the ground, his blood draining out onto the cold unforgiving ground below. His severed body's been sliced in two at the waist.

Lily's the first to rematerialize, she hurls a Bolt at the second grunt, it passes straight through his chest leaving nothing but a smoking hole behind. She turns back into light then rushes forwards, ready to strike the next one down.

Willey hesitantly rematerializes and attacks with a Bolt of his own, it's not as strong as Lily's but it kills its target none the less. Before the attack even hits its mark, Willey turns to light again.

Charizard swoops down in front of them all, his wings treble in length and turn to steel. He flies towards them all, ready to take them all down in a single attack. His Steel Wing attack stabs into the surrounding buildings, shattering the glass windows and crumbling the walls. He brings them down as he sails through the air.

Before the Grunts have the chance to react, Charizard's wings collide with each one of them, smashing into them all and carrying them with him. The sound of crunching bones hits each of their ears; Charizard re-angles his wings to allow him to climb through the air. One by one the Grunts fall from his wings down to the ground, most of them are already dead, their organs ruptured from the impact.

Red returns his sword to his Aura the moment Charizard swoops down and drops back to all fours, kicking out at the ground. Lily and Willey return to his sides, allowing them to speak again. Red's eyes are firmly fixed on the road ahead, he's got to get to Eis as fast as possible, the sooner that bastard's dead the sooner this ends. "Though the ones we face are strong, we must leap into this fight head on… Countless will die if we don't" He muttered to himself.

The bodies of the Grunts drop down to the earth with a thud. Lily has to dart to the left to avoid one of them. "WATCH IT!"

Red's keen senses detect a faint sound, like whooshing air, he knows that sound, it's the sound of an arrow being fired from a bow. The road they're on forks off in two separate directions. Seeing his chance, Red calls out. "SPLIT NOW!"

Lily and Willey group together and take the left path, that will lead them around the city centre, allowing them to carve a path through the city without confronting Eis.

Red changes direction, he turns towards the right and towards the sound he heard. Charizard hovers back down above him; his wings have returned to normal and are free of Grunts. He looks down at Red; he's amazed that he knows how to find his way around this place. _"Boss, how'd you know we're going the right way?"_

Red doesn't turn away from his target; his eyes are firmly glued to the source of that sound. "I don't. I heard something and I want to see what it is"

Charizard drops out of the sky anime style and sweatdrops. _"You're a moron… The city is being destroyed around us, and all you're worried about is a stupid sound?! It's probably something stupid!"_ He growled as he climbed back into the air above him.

Red continues to sprint and shakes his head. "Just go ahead and find a route to the tower, I'm checking the sound out"

With a humpf of annoyance, Charizard climbs higher into the air and starts scouting out the city for a route to the tower. He charges off ahead of Red, having spotted an opponent he can battle with.

* * *

As Red sprints through the half destroyed city streets, countless horrors have offended his eyes. Too many people and Pokémon have had their lives stolen from them, their broken bodies lie in pools of their own blood, their homes crushed and destroyed around them. Even more lie dying all around him, pleading for help, crying out for someone to save their loved ones.

There's nothing he can do for those who cannot walk, he's no healer, the most he can do is heal their wounds but leave their pain. Most people can't handle a lot of pain, many think they can handle the pain of an injury, but when faced with it they discover they cannot. He must ignore their pleas for help; he must ignore their cries of pain.

The best thing he can do now is get through this warzone to face the tower. Once Eis is defeated, then the rest of the Paladins will crumble. "Cut off the head and the body will fall" He thought. For now, all he can do is kill any and all Paladins he finds and send those who can walk to the park.

An unusual sight catches his eye, a body, while not unexpected with the current events, this body is different. He extends his right foot out to grind against the ground, slowing him down.

He stands up and slowly makes his way to the body, despite only being able to see the back of it; it's obvious that he was a Paladin of Fear. Red summons his sword; despite being able to feel the man has no Aura, indicating he's dead, he still feels the need to be cautious. "Maybe this is one of the reasons Charizard says I'm paranoid" He thought.

He uses his foot to roll the body onto its back, holding the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to strike if he needs to. The empty, glassy stare that meets his own tells him all he needs to know. "So you are dead" He thought as he returned his sword to his Aura.

His eye is immediately drawn to the obvious cause of death, a single black arrow in the chest. Red carefully examines the wound. "Not much blood… Must have gone through your heart…." He smirks darkly. "Not giving 'em a chance to fight back huh?... Your first strike is your last" He crouches down beside the corpse.

He grasps the arrow firmly and rips it from the confines of the flesh. He holds it in both hands and examines the weapon; the main body is made of wood. "I don't use arrows, but I've had more than enough shot at me to know that they're not normally made of wood…. Maybe" He thought. The tail has three black Murkrow feathers to act as the fletching. "Feathers… Murkrow feathers… Aren't they normally something different?"

The eye is drawn to the deadly head, most arrows have a very small head that passes in and out of flesh easily, this head is very different. It's a good two inches long, stainless steel and has two nasty spurs that hold it in flesh. Clearly this arrow isn't meant to be pulled out easily.

Red sniffs the arrow; a faint scent lingers with it, a scent Red knows very well. He smirks as he plunges the arrow back in the flesh of the corpse. "You sneaky bastard… Hiding away in the shadows? You can't hide for long… I'll find you; I'll hunt you down… You can't escape the monster for long"

 **Time skip: 30 minutes**

Elsewhere in the city Lily and Willey are sprinting through the city streets; they rematerialized into their physical forms shortly after splitting off from Red and Charizard. Lily's taken the role of the leader, speeding through the streets, taking down as many Paladins and their Pokémon as possible as well as healing injured people and sending them to the park. So far they've only been able to save a handful of survivors, but every life that makes it out of here safely is a victory.

There are bodies everywhere; most of them are those of civilians. There's evidence to say they were trying to defend themselves and perhaps others. Their bodies have wounds that aren't consistent of weapons, but Pokémon attacks.

There's more evidence to support the theory that people have been fighting back against the Paladins, there are various makeshift weapons littering the streets, as well as bullet casings and guns.

But not all the bodies belong to innocents, there are some that belong to Paladins, mostly Grunts but there is a Sentinel in the mix. Their wounds are consistent with Pokémon attacks, mostly burns and what looks like punches and kicks. The Sentinel has what looks like a shuriken made of water protruding from his forehead.

Lily's feeling the negative effects of sprinting all this way, sweat is pouring down her face and fatigue is racking her body. She looks to her side and see's Willey's suffering the same as her. "Let's take a break for a moment, can't kill Paladins if we're exhausted" He gives her a nod to show he agrees.

Willey buckles over, using his staff as a means of support and panting heavily; his bald head's glistening with sweat. Lily stands normally, with her staff slumped over her shoulder, but she's breathing heavily.

The duo takes a couple of minutes to rest and recuperate their strength. After a moment, something catches Lily's eye, something hiding amongst the shadows. She turns to get a better look at whatever that strange thing is, as she does it races away from her.

She chases after the creature, believing it's a Paladin Pokémon. "WILLEY! SOMETHING'S GETTING AWAY!" She bellowed. Willey looks at her like she's absolutely mad, then chases after her.

Lily aims her free hand towards her target, forming an Orb in the palm of her hand. "Time to die shit face" She muttered under her breath. Before she has the chance to fire her attack, a fist collides with her face.

The shock of the blow stagers her, a second blow shatters her nose and puts her on her ass. She loses the Orb she held in her hand and cups her hand over her bloody nose. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She looks around for the one who attacked her.

A pair of deep electric blue eyes meets her emerald orbs; the owner's face is covered by some black cloth as well as a black hood. There's no mistaking it though, those eyes belong to a man. The instant Lily locks onto them, she knows the owner of them could have easily killed her, but he didn't, he chose to spare her…. Why?

She's so focused on those orbs that she fails to see the body behind them begin to turn translucent and hidden, not true invisibility, but certainly difficult to see. If he stood perfectly still, he could easily pass for invisible.

She just lies on the ground, clutching her bleeding nose, enthralled by the sight before her. "What…. Who…. What are you?" She thought. The eyes staring down at her seem to be analysing her, as though they're studying her features, in an attempt to recognise a long lost friend.

Then, after but a moment, they vanish, as though they were never there to begin with. Lily remains enthralled though, the overpowering sense those eyes gave off has her short of breath. Just what was that she saw? Did she imagine it? The pain certainly feels real, but those eyes… There was something about them, something strange, something familiar but also… Exotic?

Slowly pink pulses heal her broken nose; the blood slowly runs back into its home. She stands up, and hesitantly probes the area that man must have been standing in with the bladed end of her staff, to her surprise there's nothing there. Nothing at all, it's like he was never there. "Whoever you are… Stay away from me, I'm far more dangerous than I look" She said weakly, while trying to sound strong.

The only sounds to respond are explosions, screams and gunshots. Whoever owns those eyes, they're either already gone, or don't feel the need to respond.

* * *

Red claws his way towards the tower courtyard, Charizard flies closely above him, guiding his trainer towards their destination. The route that Charizard has chosen has been badly hit by the battle, the concrete beneath Red's feet is cracking apart. All around them, the bodies of people and Pokémon alike litter the cracked street.

Red's mind is clouded, all he can think about is the pain all those people where in. "I should have ended their suffering" He thought. "It wouldn't have taken long. One thrust, and their pain would have ended. I should have given them the mercy they deserved"

Gun shots snap him from his thoughts, his mind focuses once again. A powerful desire to spill some blood overcomes him, he sprints towards the sounds of fighting as fast as his hands and feet will move. The sound diverts their path from the tower slightly, but not too much.

They quickly find the source of the gun shots and stop dead. A ragtag force of survivors has formed, each of them armed with a gun of some sort, most of them look like they've never held a weapon in their lives. A large man is leading this force; he has dark brown hair that forms a spikey beard. Standing beside him is a yellow Pokémon with a white belly, pointed ears with black stripes, a red gem on his forehead and a tail with the same gem at the end of which with black stripes around it. An Ampharos, an Electric type.

Their group focus, a single Sentinel. His body is surrounded by thick strands of ribbon like smoke, the strands are leaving the safety of his body to wrap around anything they can reach and lift it into the air.

The bulky man at the front extends his arm out towards the Paladin. "FIRE! GIVE THAT FREAK EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" He bellowed.

The ragtag force slowly points their weapons towards the Sentinel, most of them are afraid to pull the trigger though. Before they have the chance to act on his order, the Sentinel lifts a car up with his Aura, the smoke snakes across the metal surface. "OK then, I will" He muttered with a smirk.

Without a moment's hesitation the Sentinel hurls the vehicle across the street without so much as moving a muscle. The large man and his Ampharos instinctively roll to their sides, dodging the deadly attack. The rest of them aren't so skilled, the car ploughs into them all, crushing their bones and rupturing their organs. The vehicle continues to plough through them all, dragging their bodies along with it as it finally comes to a stop, in a flaming pile of wreckage. Blood seeps out from the twisted metal, along with petrol from the broken fuel tank, all it'll take is a single spark… And it'll light up in flames.

Both the large, bearded man and his Ampharos quickly recover and stand up again, they both focus their attention on the Sentinel. "THUNDRBOLT!" He shouted. Ampharos doesn't even wait for the command to be finished before his body erupts in crackling electricity.

A strong surge of electricity rips through the air towards the Sentinel, he doesn't even try to dodge or offer any form of defence. The Electric attack crashes into him, surging electricity throughout his body.

Red turns to Charizard, whose slowly shaking his head in disappointment. _"That has got to be the weakest Thunderbolt I've ever seen… Doubt that asshole even felt it"_ Red nods his head in agreement.

Sure enough, the Sentinel looks completely unaffected by the Electric attack. A faint amount of electricity crackles across his armour, both the man and his Ampharos are shocked to the bone by this. "NO EFFECT?!"

The Sentinel breaks out into a crazed smile; he raises his hand and drops his head to the side. "My turn" As he extends his Aura out, enveloping the Ampharos in smoky darkness. Ampharos struggles against his bindings in vain.

Charizard sighs and turns to Red. _"Do we have to help these weaklings?"_ He lazily asked.

Red screws up his face in indecision. This guy is clearly a weakling and has gotten a lot of people killed, but at least he's trying unlike some people they've come across… He sighs heavily; with a look of annoyance he nods his head.

The fire dragon drops his arms and sighs. _"Why did I have to get stuck with the sentimental weakling?... I get the big guy"_ Red's fists clench tightly and a nasty snarl forms on his face, which he directs towards his so called brother.

While the two of them decide whether or not to intervene with the situation, the overgrown Paladin hurled the furless sheep like Pokémon into his trainer. The pair of them fall to the ground in a heap; strands of stray darkness linger around Ampharos, paralysing him.

In the same instant, more darkness filters off the Sentinel and envelops a second car, lifting it into the air. "Say goodbye" He hissed as he hurled the car through the air, using nothing but his Aura.

The man and his Ampharos' eyes widen as they watch the metal construct fly through the air towards them, they both shut their eyes tightly and brace for the impending impact.

The mighty fire dragon picks his head and arms up and sighs once again. _"Might as well get this over with"_ He grumbled. He charges through the air with his powerful wings, as he does he lifts his tail up higher, ready to strike the Sentinel scum right between the eyes. The Sentinel turns his head, just in time to see a blur of orange scales and fire crash into his face. The force of the impact shatters the darkness surrounding him and hurls him through the air and into a relatively undamaged building.

The crash of the car never comes; the man and his Ampharos slowly open their eyes. To their great surprise, a man dressed similarly to the other guy is standing over them, with the car pressed against his back; his arms are stretched out to hold either side of it. His body is struggling to hold the weight of the vehicle, at first glance it's easy to think he's standing over them, but in reality he's on one knee, struggling to stop the weight crushing down on him.

Their jaws drop from their heads, their pupils tremble in shock. How is this guy strong enough to hold a car?! Why is he dressed like he's re-enacting a medieval war? Are he the other guy somehow connected? Is this guy one of them?

Red struggles to maintain his grip, his hands are soaked in sweat, making it difficult to hold his grip. A vein is visibly throbbing on his forehead, his teeth are grinding themselves to dust in his mouth, his eyes are filled with pure determination not to be beaten. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" He screeched as his other leg gave way and he was forced to his knees.

The man mindlessly nods his head, the darkness that kept both him and his Pokémon paralysed was knocked away by the force of the flying vehicle. "Wh-Who are you?" He found himself asking. "The name's Meyer, Meyer Citron… Thanks for the help"

The Sentinel clambers out of the building he was given a one way ticket to, his face is covered in blood. His teeth have been shattered in his mouth, his nose has been flattened and his cheek bones have been cracked badly. Charizard lands on the ground behind his brother; he slowly scratches his chin and yawns in boredom. _"You still alive? Oh for fucks sake, just die already, I've got more important things to do"_

The vein on Red's forehead throbs harder and grows larger; the sound of metal grinding on concrete indicates the car is slipping from his grasp. All three of them are running out of time. "I COULDN'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOUR FUCKING NAME IS! GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I DROP THIS THING! GO TO THE PARK, THERE'S A SCIZOR WHO CAN PROTECT YOU! IF HE GIVES YOU ANY BULLSHIT TELL HIM RED SENT YOU!"

Meyer breaks open a smile; it seems he's forgotten the car that Red's trying to hold. "Well Red, thanks for the help. I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you… Tell me, have you seen a little girl with golden blonde hair? She's wearing a brown blouse. Or have you seen a man around your age with golden blonde hair? He's wearing a blue jumpsuit. Please, they're my children I must know if they're OK" He pleaded.

Red's body is weakening; the strain of holding a car from falling down on them all is really taking a toll on him. "FOR FUCK SAKE! BONNIE AND CLEMONT ARE SAFE IN THE PARK! MY SCIZOR IS PROTECTING THEM BOTH! GET OUT NOW, OR I **WILL** DROP THIS THING ON YOU BOTH FOR BEING COWARDS!" He screeched in their faces.

Meyer's jaw drops again, how can this Red guy possibly know his children? Has he already met them both? These questions will have to wait; right now he and Ampharos need to escape to the apparent safety of the park. Both Meyer and Ampharos climb to their feet, give Red one last appreciative smile, and then nod their heads and start running towards their new destination. "It seems our glory days our behind us old friend, there seems to be a new generation of hero's out there now… All we can do now is try to stay alive" Meyer said with disappointment.

Ampharos nods his head in agreement. _"Our days of war and battle are behind us old friend, we have our medals to prove our worth, but it seems the enemy is stronger than they were twenty years ago"_

Within a matter of moments, they're both nothing but a memory to Red. His focus shifts to the hunk of metal in his slippery hands, the weight is getting too much for him now. His body simply doesn't have the strength to hold it up anymore. "I'm goanna be crushed… Ah fuck it, I'll heal once Charizard lifts it off me" He thought. "Who am I trying to fool; he won't get this thing off me while there's food around. Asshole"

He shuts his eyes and braces himself for the incoming pain, the pain of having incredible weight crushing down on his body. "My duty… Is done" He muttered.

The great metal weight slips out of his grasp, but instead of crushing down on him, the weight is lifted from his back. His hands drop down to the cold earth, he pushes down and uses the force to push himself onto his feet again. Turning on his heel, he summons his remaining sword and raises it to strike the Sentinel down. To his great surprise Charizard is standing in front of him, the dented remains of the car held tightly in his claws. _"I'm borrowing this"_

Without warning or hesitation, Charizard swings the car around on the spot; his tail narrowly avoids colliding with Red. The Sentinel's side meets cold steel; the force of the car crashing into his body snaps his spine in half. Charizard doesn't stop his relentless attack; he continues to swing the car into a building, carrying the broken Sentinel with it.

The half crushed vehicle crashes into a concrete wall, crushing in on itself even more. Blood splatters from the wreckage, covering the already cracked and soaked road. Red raises an eyebrow in surprise, he wasn't expecting Charizard to use a weapon, normally he only uses his own claws and fangs, sometimes his tail if he's in the mood.

The mighty dragon pulls the wreckage away from the building and examines his handiwork. The Sentinel's body falls to the ground; his back is bent backwards from his severed spine. Chunks of shrapnel are embedded into his flesh; a small amount of blood is escaping through these wounds. His body has been badly mangled by the blow, he's clearly dead.

Charizard grins slightly and raises the car up high. _"One more for luck"_ He growled with pleasure. His muscular arms slam down towards the ground, dragging the crushed car with them. With a horrific crunch of snapping bone, the car hits its mark, draining the last drops of blood from the crushed Sentinel.

Red raises his eyebrow even higher and half shuts his eyes, his arms rise of their own accord and cross themselves against his chest. "Overkill much?"

Ignoring the remark from his trainer, Charizard lifts the car one last time; he carefully examines the pile of twisted metal, meat and blood, checking for any signs of life. Satisfied that his victim is in fact dead, he smirks proudly and nods his head. _"Yep he's dead"_ He turns around on the spot to face Red and holds the blood soaked car out to him. _"Here this is yours"_

The man in question drops his eyebrow and holds his arms out defensively. "I don't fucking want it!" He shakes his hands to show he doesn't want the crushed car.

Charizard pulls the car back towards himself, he tilts his head curiously, he doesn't want this… Thing, back? _"Why not?"_

A look falls across Red's face; he looks like he's just been asked why he only has one head. "What do you mean why?! That thing almost crushed me! Why would I fucking want it back?!"

Charizard rolls his eye and drops the car on the pile of meat that was once a Sentinel. _"You forgot you can make yourself stronger? You know by flowing your Aura through your body? Come on it took you ages to learn that one, don't tell me you've forgotten that….. Again. If you have I'm goanna laugh myself stupid again"_ He asked with a grin.

Red's face washes clean with a look of realisation, it doesn't last long though, it's quickly replaced by an angry glare. He darts his head to his right side and scowls angrily, he doesn't want him to see his face. "Not. A. Fucking word"

His vision falls across the courtyard around the tower, standing in the centre next to the fountain, is a large purple dragon. "A Garchomp?" Charizard darts his gaze towards the dragon as well, his eye sparkles with excitement at the thought of battling her. _"Ppppllllleeeaaassseee tell me she was summoned here and I get to kill her"_

The young Knight's eyes glow blood red, allowing his Vision to see the darkness filling Garchomp, after a moment's glance, his eyes return to normal. He slowly shakes his head. "Sorry bud, she's possessed… Can't kill her"

The mighty dragon drops his arms and head in disappointment, he sighs heavily. _"Aaaawwwww! NO FAIR!... Well, who's possessed her then? Can I at least kill them?"_

Red firmly shakes his head, no matter what Charizard's not goanna get to kill him. "Hell no, Eis is mine"

Charizard lifts his head up and gives Red and pleading look. _"Oh come on… Eis has possessed her? FUCK!"_ He stamps his feet on the ground repeatedly, like a child who's throwing a tantrum.

Red facepalms and slides his hand down his face slowly. "How the fuck do I put up with you? You're a grown man act like it"

Charizard ignores him and continues to throw his tantrum, spouting gibberish about wanting a good fight. A small and obviously scared baby Gible slowly climbs out of a half crushed building, he calls for his mother again, still there is no response.

His tears stream down his scaly skin, he cries out louder for Garchomp. His cry doesn't fall on deaf ears this time, but they don't reach his mother, they reach Red.

The Knight pricks up his ears, easily recognising the nature of such a cry. "There's a baby here, and it's been separated from its mother" He thought. His advanced sense of hearing allows him to easily detect the source of the cries. He turns on the spot to face the crying baby.

Charizard hears the cries too; he finally stops his tantrum and looks around for the crying baby. _"Oh god, even in the middle of all this shit… Why must the screaming shit machines ALWAYS go to the Boss? Why can't someone else EVER take care of them?"_

Red finds the source of the cries first; the tiny infant stands amongst the rubble, crying out for his mother to comfort him, with tears streaming down his face. Every fibre of his being cries out with Chomp, his cries stab his cold heart like a Katana sword. Without him telling them to, his legs carry him to the baby. His legs crouch down, allowing him to gently stroke Chomp's fin comfortingly. "Sssshhh… Ssssshhhh…. It's OK, it's OK" He said soothingly.

Chomp opens his eyes upon Red's touch, he doesn't recognise the person crouched down before him, but there's something about him, something that the baby doesn't recognise. The tears stop flowing from his eyes and his cries quieten, Red doesn't stop reassuring him though, he continues to gently stroke his fin comfortingly. "It's OK little one… I'm not going to hurt you"

Charizard snorts out smoke along with angry sparks. _"But I will. I'll crush you into a bloody pulp if you keep distracting him"_ He thought.

Chomp sniffles slightly, he doesn't know why or how, but he feels like he can trust this man. He squeaks up at him and raises his short stubby arms. Red instantly recognises what he's doing; a warm smile breaks out on his face. "OK then little one" His rough, large, blood soaked hands gently cup around the tiny baby and lift him out of the rubble.

Charizard's claws slam into his face; he shakes his head in frustration. _"Why? What the fuck did I do to deserve being stuck with you?"_ He whined.

Red ignores his partner's whining and holds Chomp in close; he cups his left hand over him and drops his right to his side. "I'll keep you safe little one" He turns around on the spot to face Charizard; he scowls darkly at him and points his free hand at him threateningly. "Not a word from you fat ass. I kept you safe for years didn't I?"

The orange dragon crosses his arms and turns his head towards Garchomp. His face turns black as thunder and he snorts out smoke. _"Put that thing back in your armour and let's go, I wanna fight already"_

Safely nestled in Red's hand, Chomp looks around his surroundings, still searching for his mother. He doesn't have to look for long though, he quickly finds her standing at the base of the tower, waiting for a worthy opponent to reveal themselves.

He reaches out for her and calls out for her, his cries fall of deaf ears though. Red carefully tucks the baby in the folds of his armour and clothing, keeping him safe and comfortable.

Red strides towards his partner, his eyes ablaze with bloodlust. "We can't kill her, but we can still kick her ass"

Charizard slowly shakes his head and lowers his wing, to allow Red to climb aboard. _"I still don't understand why we can't kill her… Just 'cause she's not in control"_ He complained.

Red climbs up the dragon and plants his ass firmly on his back. "Quit your yappin' and get flying, you know the rule. We don't kill innocents"

Charizard raises his wings and flaps them to get the blood flowing. _"The fuck you talking about? We've both killed innocent people and Pokémon tons of times"_ With a second, more powerful flap, he takes to the air with his passengers in tow and heads for the tower.

The familiar feeling of rushing air against Red's face helps to calm him and focus his senses. "Mercy killing doesn't count fat ass! Now shut up and fly!"

* * *

 **There it is guys, The Battle of Lumiose City Part 1.**

 **Death. Destruction. Pain. Fear. Bloodlust. This isn't a battle; it's a war.**

 **Not got much to say here, just carry on to the next chapter and read the Author note at the end.**

 **When I wrote this chapter, it and the next chapter were one whole chapter, and it was 52,000 words! Screw that, ain't nobody goanna read that, so I split in half.**

 **See you in part 2, until next time guys, suggest, drop a review and… Hit that Follow/Favourite button with your faces!**

 **Dragon out!**


	11. The Battle of LC - Part 2

**Chapter 11: The Battle of Lumiose City – Part 2**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back TWICE in one update! Two for one!**

 **There's nothing really else I can say, since I said it last chapter so, enjoy. Make sure you read the last chapter before this one, as it's just carried on from last time so... Yeah.**

 **Disclaimer: My ownership of Pokémon is as likely to happen as Calem surviving Red's vengeance. NEVER GOANNA HAPPEN!**

* * *

 **Previously:**

The battle of Lumiose city began, the twins reclaimed the park and turned it into a sanctuary for the survivors of this horrendous battle. Red surrendered one of his swords to Serena, to keep her safe and protect her from the Paladins.

A mystery man attacked Lily, knocking her on her ass and breaking her nose. Before he vanished, she had the feeling that he could have killed her, but chose not to.

When we left, Charizard and Red were about to begin their battle against Garchomp…

* * *

In the grassy planes of the park, the survivors who have managed to make their way to its safety huddle around the aging Lucario. His Bone Rush walking stick has dissolved away, freeing both his paws and allowing him to form a pair of Orbs, one in each paw.

All eyes are firmly fixed on them, including the eyes of the friends and family of the Knight twins. In each Orb an insight into the city around them is shown, allowing them to watch their defenders in action. In his left paw, the Orb reveals Lily and Willey's struggle, like many of those in this city they are struggling to make their way through this alive. In his right paw, a second Orb is focused on Red and Charizard, as they charge into their next battle, ready and willing to spill blood.

Lucario's eyes are glowing bright blue, his head appendages have stiffened out allowing him to scan the city and lock onto his loved ones. _"I know you can do this, have faith in your abilities and know you will win. Make us proud out there, all of you"_

* * *

As the sound of the air being bent around his wings reaches the Dragon of the earth, her lips curl back into her blackened gums, revealing her razor sharp fangs in a deep and primal snarl. _"My opponent is here"_ She growled, as she turned to face him. _"For the glory of the Eternal Master, I will rip your head off!"_

Both the dragon of Fire and his rider narrow their eyes, gauging her strength before they strike. "Charizard stand by for battle!" Red cried out with excitement.

Charizard flaps his wings faster and charges towards his opponent, snarling back at her as he goes. Garchomp leaps forwards, catching the air under her fins as she goes. Her right claw glows green with Dragon energy, forming a Dragon Claw attack.

"CATCH IT! Then hit her back with Mega Punch!" Red commanded. The glowing Dragon Claw meets the grasp of Charizard's left hand, caught before it could cause damage. Her feet embed themselves into the ground. He hurls his glowing right fist square into her jaw, releasing his hold over her as he does.

Garchomp stumbles backwards, losing the power in her claw as she does. "Quick use Flamethrower now!" A powerful jet of fire erupts from Charizard's mouth, slamming into Garchomp and pushing her back. While the flames do little damage, they are creating distance between the two of them.

"Perfect, now grab her and climb!" The fire dragon charges through the air, then locks his grasp around his opponent in a tight bear hug. His powerful wings carry all four of them into the air. Garchomp uses Crunch onto her opponents shoulder, drawing blood from his scaly hide.

"Oh Hell no!" Red slams his glowing red fist straight into the eye of the possessed Dragon. The pain surges through her eye, forcing her jaws to release their hold in an involuntary spasm, allowing her to howl in pain.

"Seismic Toss!" With diabolical pleasure, Charizard shifts his weight and hurls Garchomp down towards the earth. She doesn't go too far though, she catches the air under her fins and sails back towards him, her claw glowing white as she charges a Slash attack.

She slashes her claw across his stomach, before either him or Red had the chance to react. The attack does little damage to him, barely even leaving a mark behind. _"I knew it, you're fucking weak"_

Garchomp snarls at them both, as a Hyper Beam forms in her jaws. "SHIT!" The attack ploughs into Charizard's stomach, knocking the wind straight out of his lungs and leaving him dazed and confused. That attack had some bite to it.

His eye rolls back into his head, as he drops from the sky towards the cold earth once again. Red tries to get through to him, tries to snap him out of his confusion, but the power behind that close range attack has addled Charizard's head.

The fountain at the base of the tower grows bigger and bigger with each passing second, it's cracked and broken from the battle, but it's still filled with water. "If Charizard falls into that we're finished. He'll fucking drown" He thought with a panicked tone.

He thrusts his hand out towards the decorative water feature, in his palm an Orb forms. "Hope this works" He thought. A Wave bursts from his hand and crashes down into the remains of the fountain. An explosion of water bursts out around the beam of Aura, rising higher than the fragments of concrete that surrounded it. The Wave doesn't stop their decent, but it is slowing them down, giving them a little more time.

In a battle every second counts, a single second gained or lost, can make a world of difference.

Charizard's eye rolls back into its socket, his wings spread out and catch the air to stop their freefall. The confusion has been lost; Charizard's mind is his again. _"Ah crap. You fucking saved me again, didn't you?"_ He growled as Red's Wave dies in his hand.

Without waiting for an answer, Charizard charges up through the air again, his eye burning with rage. His pride as an Alpha male has been badly wounded, not only was he caught off guard and knocked from the skies, but he was saved by someone. Unacceptable.

As they climb through the air to resume the battle, a sight catches the eye of the dragon rider. Eis. Standing atop the tower with his Ice Pokémon either side of him, a dark grin has formed across his face as he watches the battle with eager interest.

With a single tap to Charizard's side, the two of them communicate silently. The orange dragon continues to fly towards his opponent, but also readies himself to hold up his end of the bargain he and Red came up with earlier. Red carefully repositions his feet, to allow him to crouch rather than sit. "NOW!"

Just before Garchomp can land another hit on Charizard, the one eyed dragon changes direction, effectively dodging her attack. He sails through the air, dodging Garchomp's Hyper Beams as he goes, to get Red close enough to jump.

The moment they are close enough, Red leaps from Charizard's back towards his enemy. The moment his burden leaps from his back, Charizard turns to battle Garchomp once again. _"I'm back bitches!"_ He roared as his wings turned to steel and grew longer.

The two dragons charge into each other once again, Charizard's Steel Wing slams into Garchomp, dealing her heavy damage. She clings to his enlarged wing, digging her claws and talons into the steel covering it. Green flames burn in her mouth, before being expelled in the form of a close range Dragon Breath attack.

Red leaps through the air, holding his feet out like a Braviary's talons as he goes. In his hands, his two handed axe forms, ready to cleave heads in two. Eis' grin doesn't waver in the slightest. "Hehehehehehe… Nice try Boy" He muttered. His eye opens wide, as it fills with darkness.

The air around the Fear Master and Ice Pokémon seems to freeze, forming into a powerful blizzard. Red's eyes widen in fear, as the sting of the air begins to take hold over him.

In a flash, the frozen air rushes into the Knight, forming a devastating blizzard that pushes him back and away from Eis. "Not yet Boy… You're not weak enough yet" Eis hissed.

The Knight of Aura falls backwards and out of the sting of the blizzard, his axe returns to the depths of his Aura, it'll only weigh him down. Both Red and Chomp fall freely through the air, the red cloak whips around his limbs, as he frantically reaches out for something that isn't there.

And then, they stop. The two of them stop falling through the air, having landed on something tough and hard. _"Why do I always have to save your ass?!"_ Charizard roared in rage. Without wasting a second, Red takes his seat on Charizard's back once again. "SHUT UP AND USE DRAGON CLAW!"

Charizard lunges forwards, his claws covered in a ghostly green scaly hide, and slashes Garchomp across her chest. Her scaly skin rips apart at the touch of his claws; her blackened blood escapes her body, soaking both her and her attacker in its dark taint. She drops down towards the earth, her fins catch no air as she goes, nothing stops her from crashing into the destroyed remains of the fountain. The water runs black with her tainted blood, as her eyes slowly shut.

Both Charizard and Red watch her fall; they watch her crash and bleed out. The winner of the battle roars into the sky, pride echoing through his cries, his honour as Alpha has been restored. "Don't celebrate just yet fat ass, Eis is still here. Use Flamethrower"

Charizard re-angles his wings and shifts his weight around, as he turns his jaws fill with powerful flames that threaten to melt mountains. The flames rip the air apart as they fly towards the tower top, heating the air to boiling temperatures.

Eis watches the fire with disinterest, the heat from the flames cause sweat to roll down his cold body. "Is that it? I expected better from you lizard" He hissed. He raises his hand before him with little effort, a small Barrier of darkness forms before him. Shielding him and his Pokémon from the flames charging towards them.

Before the Flamethrower can reach either Eis or the Barrier, they are split in two by the power behind the black shield. The split fire wraps around the tower tip, reforming together behind it before fading into nothingness. Eis remains untouched by the fire, feeling only the slightest burn from the heat.

"Stop it. It's nothing but a waste of power" Red growled in frustration. "The coward won't fight me"

Charizard snarls angrily at their enemy, why would he challenge Red to fight, if he's just goanna stop him from getting to him? It makes no sense. But then again, since when has Eis ever made sense? He's spent years hounding them all, trying to find ways to kill Red, but whenever he has the opportunity to end his life, he leaves. The sick fucker is a mystery.

A heavy slam in his back breaks his trail of thought, and sends pain through his and Red's bodies. _"I'm back bitch!"_ Garchomp growled.

Charizard catches himself before he falls down towards the earth, him and his passengers turn through the air to face their opponent. Their mouths hang open as they see Garchomp gliding through the air before them, her wounds are gone, there's nothing there, not even a scar. It's like she never even took a single hit.

Red shakes his head, snapping himself back to reality. "OK then, looks like we get to have some more fun. Let's kick it up a notch, Fire Punch into Dragon Tail"

Charizard grins slightly. _"So we're actually goanna try now? Hehehehe good"_ In the blink of an eye, Charizard slams his flaming fist into Garchomp's jaw. Despite the type disadvantage, the attack still deals heavy damage to her. Before she can recover, Charizard does a forward flip and slams his ghostly green scale covered tail into her head.

Her skull cracks inside her head, the force from the attack sends her broken body down towards the earth. With an ear splitting crack she crashes into the concrete and splits it apart. Her eyes once again shut tightly, as the life inside her body begins to vanish.

This time the Knights don't take their eyes off her, they won't allow her to sneak up on them again. Chomp stirs inside the safety of Red's armour, having heard the voice of his mother; he struggles desperately to see what lies beyond the safety of the Aura forged steel.

Eis' confident grin finally breaks, in its place a dark snarl forms from his anger. It's now painfully clear that Garchomp isn't strong enough to defeat Charizard, even with the boost from the darkness; she's not even close to him in terms of power. His fists tighten as his veins rise against his skin, throbbing powerfully and threatening to burst under the strain.

Sensing his distress, Froslass bows before him, catching his attention once again. _"Master, there is no need to get upset. In terms of strength, the lizard is not much more powerful than the Dragon, but he is far better trained, this is the only reason he is winning"_

Eis snarls darkly at her. "Unless you want me to rip your arms off and force them down Glalie's throat and watch you both die slowly and painfully, get to the fucking point"

" _Forgive me Master, my point is that she can still overpower him, she just needs some more power from you. Allow her to Mega Evolve, then they will not stand a chance against her. Even if-"_ She is not allowed to finish speaking, as Eis' boot has connected to her face and knocked her onto her back. _"MASTER WAIT PLEASE!"_

He steps onto her throat, preventing her from speaking another word. "How dare you suggest that _I_ should give a lesser creature any of _my_ power" He growled venomously. "She is as disposable as you are. The fact that you are suggesting that I, a Fear Master, should give my power to a lesser creature, tells me that your usefulness has reached its end"

Glalie watches Froslass struggle against their Master's boot, her eyes reflect fear and terror, her lips try to form words to calm his anger, but no sound is able to leave her lips. _"Ugh… Master? Why don't you just use the smoky thing up there? And can I have my mate back now? Please? I don't have another one"_

The snarl on Eis' face freezes in place, his boot stops crushing down on Froslass' throat. His head slowly turns to face Glalie, filled with pure shock and disbelief; he blinks his eyes repeatedly to ensure that he has not passed out from rage. "Did you just have a good idea? You? Glalie, had a good idea?... I can't believe it" He whispered in shock. With a slow nod of his head, he lifts his boot from Froslass' throat and stares at the floating ore of obsidian beside him. Froslass clutches her throat in relief as she sucks down life giving oxygen into her hollow body.

She gives Glalie the kindest snarl imaginable, before rising off the ground and bowing to Eis once again. _"Thankyou Master, your kindness knows no bounds. I beg of you for your forgiveness, no one deserves to have your incredible power… My point was, that with the gift your servant delivered to her, she cannot be beaten"_

Ignoring both of his subordinates, Eis gestures towards the Barrier above him. Responding to his call, a strand of darkness syphons from the Barrier and lunges down towards the battle field, seeking out Garchomp.

Charizard and Red watch Garchomp stir from the crater she created, her bones are clearly crushed, but somehow she's getting up again. The darkness inside her heals her shattered bones and restores her strength, within moments she is back to full strength. She stands strong and roars a challenge up to her opponent again.

Charizard cranes his neck to face his brother. _"How the fuck is she still standing? She took a Dragon Tail to the face, then crash landed into the floor, how the fuck did she get up? I felt her fucking skull crack under my tail. She should be dead or dying"_

He can only shake his head in response; he's as clueless as Charizard is on the matter. "How the fuck do you expect me to know?"

Before they can continue their discussion regarding Garchomp's healing, the strand of darkness, summoned by Eis, drops past their field of vision and envelops Garchomp. _"That ain't good"_

As the darkness envelops the Dragon of earth, her body morphs and changes, growing stronger and more vicious. After a moment, the darkness leaves her body in the form of smoke, lingering in the area, surrounding her. Garchomp's lower jaw has grown stronger and more armoured. Her claws have morphed into a pair of deadly scythes, her spikes have grown longer and sharper, new spike shave formed on her chest. Her frame has gotten bigger and more robust, finally her tail is thicker and the fins have curved more.

Garchomp has Mega Evolved.

Charizard's orange scaly skin turns green with envy, smoke rings snort out from his nostrils as he snarls out each breath. _"You bitch. I was supposed to be the first to go Mega, not some possessed wannabe warrior princes"_ He growled with envy.

Red pats the side of his neck. "There there big guy, you'll go Mega one day, I promise it. But right now we've gotta take this bitch down, then I've gotta kill Eis. Now if you're finished complaining…. ATTACK HER! HIT HER WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!"

The newly Mega Evolved Garchomp leaps into the air, instantly catching it under her large fins and soaring up towards her opponent once again.

Charizard looks back down at her, before releasing a pent up yawn of disinterest. _"Which one? I've got two awesome moves, which one should I use?"_ He asked with a bored tone.

Garchomp slashes her scythes out towards them both, in the form of a Dragon Claw attack. "QUICK SLASH!" Charizard's claws glow white and treble in length, with deadly accuracy he slashes his claws at her, she effectively blocks each strike with her Dragon Claw. _"You think Slash is my best? Do you even know me?"_ He mocked.

The Knight growls under his breath, muttering a death threat as he does. "Shut up and use Flamethrower, we need some distance between us" With a powerful strike, Charizard's Slash knocks Garchomp's Dragon Claw to either side of her. With a roar of dominance, his Flamethrower crashes into Garchomp and pushes her back through the air. _"Too easy. I thought Mega Pokémon were supposed to be tough"_

"What part of shut up don't you understand? Just use Nova Flame already" Red growled in frustration.

Instantly Charizard's eye lights up in joy, he'd almost forgotten about his signature move. _"Oh Hell yes"_ He growled. _"Watch and learn bitches, this is my signature move, I alone can use it, it's one hundred percent mine"_

His wings re-angle, to allow him to fly backwards; the flames won't slow Mega Garchomp down for long and he'll need time to use this attack. "We still need to work on your speed, you're too slow" Red commented.

" _Bite me bitch"_ Charizard growled back, with a distinctive tone of anger.

The flames that pushed Garchomp back quickly die, giving her the means to see her enemy again. His tail flame begins to flicker, as though a powerful wind is beating down on it, but there's no wind here. It seems to be getting smaller and smaller, as though he's getting weaker.

Garchomp doesn't wait to see just what attack they're planning to use, she climbs higher into the air, to prepare an attack of her own.

Charizard's tail flame flickers down to the size of an ember, it's barely even lit now. Then, just before the flame can die, it evolves into a pure white flame then erupts to twice the normal size and strength.

The Mega Dragon above channels her Dragon energy throughout her body, enveloping herself in it. She forms a Dragon Rush attack, and dives down towards her enemy, like a meteor filled with Dragon and dark power.

The one eyed dragon of fire shuts his eye and delves deep down inside himself, searching for his Draconic core, the source of his Dragon energy. Finding it within a matter of seconds, he draws a supply of power and fuses it with his internal fire. In a mixture of Fire and Dragon energy, the two powers become a single white flame.

His eye rips open, allowing him to see Garchomp using Dragon Rush just a few feet away from him. His jaws wrench open as the white flames rise up his powerful throat, expelled in the form of a powerful roar. _"NOVA FLAME!"_

The powerful fire explodes from his throat, shattering the Dragon Rush and slamming into Garchomp. She howls in agony upon the impact of the super effective hit. The power behind the hit carries her through the air and higher into the sky.

Never before has she seen or felt such an attack, it feels like a Dragon Breath, with the focus and strength of a Flamethrower. She can feel multiple elements behind this move; one doesn't seem to be husting as much as the other does.

The air is forced from her lungs, her eyes shut in submission as she loses consciousness. Somehow she falls from the centre of the blast, crashing down towards the cold concrete once again. Despite this loss, the white hot flames show no signs of ending their powerful blast. Charizard holds strong, his sights set on the Barrier above. "SMASH THROUGH THAT THING!"

The Nova Flames crash into the Barrier of smoke, the effect is instantaneous and different from his last attempt. Intense ripples expand across the dark surface of the shield, breaking the smoke from its surface, which winds down the jet of intense fire like a corkscrew. The Barrier begins to show signs of weakening, tiny cracks begin to break out across its surface. Given enough time, Charizard can break through the Barrier and let the sun back in.

"DON'T LET UP! DESTROY THAT FUCKING THING!" Red encouraged.

All across the city, survivors and Paladins alike are watching this battle, watching the dragons duel for dominance. The hopes of the survivors rise just like the intense fire raging at the end of Charizard's tail. Maybe they have a chance after all, maybe this Charizard and his rider will save them. Maybe… Just maybe. There might be a tomorrow after all.

Garchomp's eyes open as she falls through the air; she spreads her fins out to catch the air, meters away from the cold concrete below. She quickly turns her attention towards her opponents once again, she sees his attack is still raging; doesn't this guy ever get tired?

Regardless, her mission is clear, kill this Charizard and tear his head off. She charges her Dragon energy through her body to use Dragon Rush once again, using the power she splits the air in two as the charges towards Charizard's unguarded chest.

Her snout ploughs into his chest, breaking his attack and knocking all the air from his lungs. "Where the fuck did she come from?" While Red contemplates the sudden appearance of the Mega Dragon, Charizard drops through the air.

Charizard drops a few feet through the air, but quickly extends his wings to catch himself; his pride won't allow him to be saved twice in one day. _"It's bad enough he fucking saved my hide once, no fucking way he's doing it twice"_ He thought with resentment. He quickly climbs back up through the air to face Garchomp again.

His anger is burning inside his body, lighting his internal fire and feeding it, no matter how much he hits this bitch, no matter how much he hurts her, she just keeps getting back up again. Somehow he has to beat her, without killing her.

Despite his bad attitude, he doesn't want to kill her, not really. If he does then Red'll probably take on the runt in his armour, which means there'll be another crying shit machine from Hell chewing on him. Killing Garchomp's not worth it.

The anger feeds through his Connection with Red, giving the Knight an idea of how to end this battle. "Charizard, I've had an idea!" He exclaimed.

With a roll of his eye, Charizard growls back a response. _"Oh what a miracle I have witnessed, please let me tell Mew so she inform the world of this miraculous event"_ He said sarcastically as he reached Garchomp.

She lunges forwards through the air and uses Slash against his chest. "Break her arm!" With a dark smirk, Charizard tilts to his side, just as her arm lunges into him. He grabs her scythe with his left hand and slams his Mega Punch into her elbow joint. With a bone crunching blow, the joint shatters inside her flesh.

All Garchomp can do is cry out in pain, as Charizard hurls her back down towards the earth. With a broken arm, she can't catch the air and fly back into battle; she'll need to heal first. With no way to slow her decent, she slams back into the remains of the fountain once again, her eyes shut again, but they both know she'll be back on her feet again soon.

Charizard cranes his neck around to smirk at Red. _"So what's this idea of yours? If you tell me it was to break her arm I'm goanna throw you off right now"_

Red smirks back at him, before patting the back of his neck. "What kind of moron do you think I am?" With a narrowing of his eye, Red has his answer. "Shut up. We're going to try Blast Burn again, you in?"

With a swift nod of his head, Charizard focuses his attention on Garchomp once again. She's standing once again; her bones are healing before his eyes, it won't be long before she's attacking him again.

Charizard spreads his wings out as far as he can, stiffening them out to allow him to float for a while. He shuts his eye and focuses his fire into a single point; he channels all his rage and aggression into a ball inside him, drawing in his deepest fires as he does. "Focus Charizard, concentrate your anger, your furry, your aggression, form it inside you and fuse it with your fire"

With the sound of snapping bones, Garchomp's elbow reseals itself; she's fully healed and has her sights set on Charizard. Her powerful legs kick off the ground, allowing her to fly once again. She surrounds herself in Dragon energy, which forms into yet another Dragon Rush.

The fire inside Charizard begins to swell, taking in his aggression and other emotions, it's almost there now. The fire and emotions form together, to form a single fire ball in the pit of his stomach. His eye bolts open as the ball of fire rises up his throat and into his mouth.

"BLAST BURN!" Red roared at Garchomp. The dragon of fire spits out the ball of fire in his mouth, directly into the possessed Dragon of earth. The Blast Burn is not formed correctly, it's in the shape of a ball, but the fire is sparking outwards. There is no control over it, there is no seal to hold the power in, it's not a true Blast Burn, but it's good enough for now.

Before she can try to dodge, the deadly attack collides with her head. The erratic ball of fire explodes on contact, releasing a swirling torrent of fire, which engulfs Mega Garchomp and breaks her own attack. The torrent of fire doesn't last long, within seconds it begins to fade, before it does though, Garchomp falls from the depths of its core before she returns to her normal form.

Her eyes are firmly shut before she even reaches the ground. The fire quickly fades into a puff of smoke, allowing the dragon of fire and his rider to watch their fallen opponent slam into the concrete, forming yet another crater as she does. Her eyes go swirly, indicating she's been beaten.

Red scowls down at her with angry eyes. "She's down, good job Charizard. You've made me proud. We still need to work on both Blast Burn and Nova Flame though, once this is all over we'll train some more"

Charizard's eye is firmly fixed on his beaten down enemy, with a heavy sigh he cranes his neck to look his brother in the eye. _"Boss, you and me both know that this isn't over. She'll get up again soon… We can't keep this up forever, eventually we'll run out of strength, but she'll just keep getting back up again. We can't win this way, you've gotta kill Eis"_ His tone is deadly serious; there is no room for negotiation or silliness. _"I'll hold her off for as long as I can, but you gotta end this. You're the only one of us who can, it's you he wants and only you he'll fight. Do it brother, make him pay for what he's done to us, make him pay for what he did to YOU"_

Red nods his head once, he's right, no matter how many times they put Garchomp down she'll just get back up again. The only way to end this battle, to end this war, is to kill Eis. "Let's do this"

Charizard shifts his weight and re-angles his wings, allowing him to face Eis once again. "FLAMETHROWER!" Red bellowed to his brother. Charizard summons the deepest fires from his body; this attack will need to be the strongest he can make it in order for this to work.

He unleashes an ocean of fire from the deepest pits of his body; the ocean condenses down to form a tight river of power. The intense flames sail through the air directly towards the top of the tower, their destination set; nothing will stop them from reaching their target.

On the ground below, Garchomp's eyes open wide as her wounds heal once again. She quickly finds that she's no longer in her Mega Form and she has lost the power she gained from it, it doesn't matter, thanks to her Master's gift, she cannot be defeated. She quickly takes to the air once again, her eyes set on Charizard's exposed back.

Eis lazily swipes his hand upwards, sending a pulse of darkness through the flames, splitting them in two. The flames wrap around the top of the tower, but don't harm any on it. Red sees his chance, he double checks Chomp is safely tucked away inside his armour, then leaps from Charizard's back through the flames.

Eis watches the flames dance around him, wondering just why Red would try this again. "You've tried this before; it failed then, what made you think it would work now?" He thought. His answer comes in the form of a young Knight leaping through the flames, feet extended like an eagle's talons, with his arms held up and over his head with a large axe held in them.

Eis turns to smoke, just as Red swings his axe down onto his head. Red crashes through the smoke and ploughs his axe into the cold steel floor. His feet slam down, sending pain through his legs.

Ignoring his pain, he releases his axe and pulls Chomp out of his armour; he gently places him on the ground. While he does this, Eis moves to the other side of the new battleground and reforms.

Chomp instantly runs towards a large box like structure atop the tower, he hides behind it, giving him a view of the battle below and shielding him from these people.

Garchomp's Dragon Claw attack slices into Charizard's back, breaking his Flamethrower and knocking him down through the air. He quickly catches himself and turns to face her, a Slash attack makes his claws grow longer and glow white. He charges up through the air and tries to slash Garchomp, she quickly dodges each strike.

The hands of the young Knight wrap around the shaft of his mighty two handed axe once again, with a pang of cold pain, he digs his feet into the icy metal and rips his weapon free from the confines of the twisted metal.

Eis stands across the newly formed battlefield, his silver rapier sword in his right hand, confident of victory in the impending battle. "It seems you are smarter than I gave you credit for… Using the flames as a cover to reach me, you are a sneaky little bastard"

Feeling the weight of his weapon in his hands, Red tightens his grasp as his eyes burn with hatred and unforgiving rage. "Are we goanna stand around talking all day, or are we goanna fight?" He asked darkly.

The cold Master holds his silver blade out to his side, taking a short bow in the process, while maintaining eye contact with his opponent. "By all means Boy, feel free to attack… If you dare" He whispered the final words.

Without thought of how to do this, Red charges forwards. He won't fail, not this time; too much has been lost for him to fail now. Today this ends, today the war between the Warrior and the Master ends.

Eis sprints forwards, swinging his blade wildly as he does, hoping to catch the light and blind his opponent with its dazzling glory. His attempt at a dirty trick fails to do anything but strengthen his opponent's resolve, driving him forwards with his axe ready to cleave his head in two.

Red swings his axe out at his enemy, who quickly jumps backwards to dodge it. Using the momentum from his dodge, Eis bounces forwards once again with his sword raised. This time he catches the light perfectly, dazzling it in Red's eyes for just a moment, more than long enough to blind him. Taking advantage of this distraction, Eis slashes his sword swiftly and precisely.

His blade slices through Red's armour and robes, opening up the flesh across his chest and allowing his blood to flow freely. Despite being dazzled by light, Red manages to slam the shaft of his axe across Eis' face, knocking a tooth loose in the process.

Eis staggers forwards, clutching his jaw with his free hand. His enemy turns on the spot to face him, having recovered from his cheap trick and regaining his sight again, he's able to see the cold glare across Eis' face as he spits out his tooth and a mouthful of blood. The Warrior raises his axe again and swings it out and into Eis.

The Master turns himself to smoke just before the weapon can pierce his flesh, protecting him from the sting of the attack. He rises up into the sky above, reforming to dive down towards Red, with his sword held out before him, ready to glide through flesh once again.

Using the weight of his axe and the leftover energy from the spin, Red turns on the spot to meet his enemy. He comes into sight, just as he completes his turn. Just before either of them can land their attacks, Eis once again turns himself to smoke and reforms behind Red, ready to stab him in the back.

Predicting this cowardly tactic, Red continues to turn around to greet Eis with his axe head. A pillar of ice takes the strike for Eis, shielding him from the heavy weapon. The axe boors into the frozen shield, devouring its cold bite.

The Master of Fear jumps into the air and flips backwards, kicking Red in the face and forcing him backwards and away from his weapon. Not wasting the chance he has dealt himself, he turns his gaze to the ice beside him, as he returns to the safety of the floor, he flicks his wrist. With nothing but this simple gesture, the pillar of ice that holds the axe rises into the air and hurls itself down towards the ground below. Effectively separating Red from his best weapon.

The eyes of the young male widen in horror, he's already lost one of his swords, now his axe has been stolen from him. By the time he recovers from the kick, his weapon is too far away for him to call it back. Even if he could, Eis could just pull it away from him again, so long as it is embedded in that ice. He'll have to retrieve it later, when he has the chance.

He regains his footing and does the only thing he can, summon his remaining blade into his left hand. Why did he give her his right sword? Why not the left? It makes no difference now; he has to fight with his left and like it.

Eis smirks broadly at his opponent, as he regains his own footing and strokes his own blade. "Only the one?... Ahhh… That's right, you gave the other to the girl, didn't you Boy?" He taunted.

A blur of red light races towards Eis, moving faster than his eye can follow, Red Sprints towards him. Acting on his battle instincts, Eis bends his knees and drops backwards, barely avoiding the slash of red from his enemy's blade.

The momentum from such a fast attack sends Red spinning on the spot, as he returns to his normal fleshy body. Eis quickly pulls himself back up and slashes his own blade into Red. With a clang of steel, their blades lock together and push against each other with all their might. In this battle of wills, each side vies for dominance.

The Warrior snarls at his opponent, while Eis uses a toothy grin to distract him, allowing him to turn their dual in his own favour. Red's superior battle sights allow him to see the impending attack, and allow him to counter before Eis can land it. He slams his knee into Eis', distracting him for just a second, long enough for him to break their dual and put some distance between them.

Both of the fighters step back, their eyes firmly fixed on the others, not giving each other the chance to surprise them again. The two of them slowly circle each other, probing for a weakness that will give them the key to victory. "You're getting weaker old man; you've barely even scratched me. This battle's hardly worth my time" Red taunted. " _You're_ hardly worth my time"

Eis smirks back at him. "Your overconfidence will be your undoing Boy… It's not too late you know, you can still be reborn… You can still be what you were born to be"

He may be in the middle of a battle, but Red's senses remain perfectly sharp and steady. "I was never born to be one of you… I was born to be a Monster, I was born and bred to kill, I was born to destroy you and your bloodline"

The 6 foot 7 inch tall titian of ice chuckles lowly at his words. "Hehehehehehehe…" The two of them continue to circle each other, neither giving even an inch of ground. "Oh? Destroy my bloodline?... Hehehehehehehe… If only you knew anything about my kind… If only you knew the truth"

Simultaneously, the two of them freeze in place and glare at each other, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The metal beneath their feet creaks under their combined weight, the moment it does they charge into each other. With an echo of clanging steel, a rain of sparks falls to the metal floor. This time the two of them are evenly matched, neither of them is able to gain control over their battle.

Deciding not to wait for an opportunity to present itself, and make one for himself, the Warrior swings his leg round and into the back of Eis' knee. The strike forces his leg to buckle underneath his own weight; he can't stop himself from falling to the ground.

Cupping his hands around the hilt of his sword, Red thrusts his one remaining weapon down towards Eis' throat. The Fear Master abandons his own weapon and puts his hands together to block the deadly blade. An Orb forms in his palms, just in time to meet the deadly blade's tip. A cold smirk falls across Eis' face, having successfully blocked the attack.

In an attempt to break his defence, Red pushes down harder. "If you knew anything about defence Boy, you'd know I'm in control here" Eis hissed.

The darkness inside the Orb rises up and across the surface of Red's blade, within seconds the bottom half has been turned pitch black, the darkness threatens to engulf his hands next. The Warrior pushes down harder, trying to break the defence before the darkness can reach him. Regardless of his attempt at a counter, the darkness continues to climb up his weapon, closing in on its target.

Froslass grinds her teeth in frustration, while her Master is steadily gaining the advantage here; it's killing her to have to wait on the side lines like this. _"That Boy is still a significant threat, we must get that sword out of his hands"_ She growled angrily. _"Without it he'll be far weaker, he won't stand a chance against Master then"_

An idea forms in her twisted mind, she can't join the fray herself, but she can make it far easier for her Master to beat the Boy himself. A ball of black Ghost energy forms between her veil like hands.

She spins on the spot, hurling the Shadow Ball into the exposed back of the Warrior. The Knight is so focused on the battle at hand; he never sees the attack coming. Before the Shadow Ball can collide with his armour, the darkness covering his weapon reaches the hilt and wraps around his hands. He can feel his grip on the blade weakening, before he has the chance to strike back, to force the darkness from his flesh, the Shadow Ball collides with his back and explodes into a dark mist.

His back arches on reflex, as his eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" He cried out in agonising pain.

While this chance was not expected, Eis will not waste it. He goes on the offensive, pushing back against the blade pressed into his hands. Red offers little to no resistance, as his mind is firmly focused on the pain surging through his body.

The darkness quickly binds his hands to the hilt, preventing him from releasing the blade and countering Eis' next move. Eis pushes the blade up higher, lifting Red's arms up higher as he does, he can still offer no resistance, due to the pain throughout his body. The Master of Ice quickly stands up, continuing to hold Red in place as he does.

"Hehehehehe… I told you I was in control Boy. Now, I see no further need for this glow in the dark butter knife" He hissed venomously.

As the pain begins to ease through his body, Red regains his ability to snarl at his enemy, who rips his blade from his hands and hurls it through the air and over the edge of the tower.

The darkness binding his hands together breaks the moment the blade is pulled from his grasp, giving him free rein once again. His eyes shrink in horror as he reaches out for his weapon desperately, calling it back to his hand. He can hear his weapon calling back to him, telling him in wants to come back, but the darkness refuses to release its hold over it. His weapon can't come back to his side.

He can only watch in horror as the last of his weapons is stolen from him, he can only watch it fall to the earth below, narrowly avoiding Charizard as it does. His eyes widen again, the final part of him has been lost… There are no words to describe the feeling of a lost limb, there are no words to describe the horror of watching it fall to the ground before you, no words to describe the feeling flowing through him.

Eis' pride swells to new heights, having stripped his opponent down to the bare bones, having taken everything he possibly can from him, without tearing him to pieces anyway; Red is completely at his mercy now.

The Knight slowly turns his eyes to face his enemy; his face is devoid of life and emotion, leaving nothing but a hollow empty shell of himself behind. "What… What have you done?" He whispered. Eis grins back at him with pride. "What have you done?!" He screeched.

Eis' grin widens, clearly he's pleased with himself. With a flick of his wrist, his own sword rises from the steel ground and into his own hand. He lightly presses the tip of his blade into his opponent's throat, not hand enough to cut, simply intimidate any normal opponent, but Red isn't normal. "Bow before me Boy, and I might let you live to be my pet when the Master cleanses this world"

In a flash of blinding rage, the left hand of the Warrior smashes into the blade at his throat, knocking it clean out of Eis' grasp and through the air. Eis watches in horror as his blade falls to the earth below, he reaches out for the weapon, but like his opponent's axe, it's simply too far away for him to retrieve it. Like Red he has been disarmed.

Red's talons grow from his nails, his canine teeth grow sharper and longer, combined with his glowing blood red eyes, he looks ready and willing to rip flesh from bone.

 **(A/N I know they're technically claws, but talons sounds better to me)**

Eis snaps his head back to face his opponent, his eye floods with darkness as his lips curl into a dark snarl. "Oh… So unwise"

Not waiting for an invitation, Red swipes his talons out at Eis' face and chest. Eis turns himself to smoke to avoid the attack, just quick enough to avoid their sharp touch. The talons split the smoke apart, but cause no harm to Eis.

The smoky Eis darts behind his opponent, climbing higher into the air as he goes. Using the momentum from his failed attack, the Knight spins on his heel to face his fleeing opponent. "FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!"

The smoke quickly reforms into Eis mid-air, his body is supported by lingering strands of darkness, allowing him to float approximately twenty feet into the air. He licks his lips in anticipation for his next attack, leaving them with a disgusting shine. "It's a shame you had to turn my generous offer down Boy… You were born to be one of us; you could have become like me, a Fear Master… But you threw it all away. Oh well, perhaps in your next life… I'll be waiting for you Boy"

As he speaks these venomous words, a thick layer of frost forms across his hands, a cold mist falls freely from his wrists. His hands rise and aim themselves towards his opponent. The flesh of his palms opens wide, revealing what looks like a large icicle embedded into each of his arms. "If you had only learned to block Boy… It might just have saved your life… Too bad"

Showing no signs of fear, Red holds his ground and snarls up at his opponent. His eyes continue to burn with rage, as he flexes his talons, pumping a little extra blood through them. "GIVE ME ALL THE ICE YOU'VE GOT!"

The ice stored in Eis' flesh forces itself out from the confines of his icy cold flesh, forcing the gap in his palms to widen and split. "TIME TO DIE!" He bellowed as the icicles leave his body. The icicles are three feet in length and two inches wide, the perfect size to tear through flesh without being stopped. They tear the air apart, letting nothing stop them as they make their way towards the only human shaped source of heat here.

The disarmed Knight holds his ground, not backing down or giving an inch of his space up. Eis watches his icicles with eager interest, why hasn't Red made any attempt to counter them? It's not like him to just give up and accept defeat like this, even without his weapons he has the ability to counter him, even if he is forced to resort to his Aura abilities to do it. They're undoubtedly his weak point, but they're still better than nothing.

The young Knight's snarl morphs into a confident smirk. "Hehehehehe… You've lost your sense of depth perception, give it some time and you'll learn to adjust. Charizard did after all"

Confusion writes itself across the Master of fear's face, depth perception? What's that got to do with their battle?

With the sound of shattering ice, his question is answered. The icicles lie as shattered pieces at Red's feet, Eis' aim was off quite a bit. A cold sweat runs down his face, with losing his eye he has also lost his depth perception, at close range this doesn't have much effect as his other senses can compensate for it, but at a distance like this there's nothing to support this weakness.

While Eis contemplates his failure, and tries to develop a counter measure for his loss of depth perception, Red takes the chance to deal some damage of his own.

With a forward thrust of his hand, he expels a Wave of his own. While it is by no means as large as the one the Sentinel fired at him, nor as powerful as the one he used earlier, it'll do its job.

The beam of Aura collides with Eis' chest, knocking the breath from his lungs and disbursing the smoke that holds him up. With nothing to support him any longer, he drops back down towards the cold steel of the floor. He quickly recovers and stands once again, that attack barely even hurt him. But it was not designed to harm, simply to level the playing field.

As Eis drops down to the floor, Red charges forwards with the second wave of his attack in his hand. It feels so wrong, so alien, to fight Eis without his weapons in his hands. For a moment he contemplate whether or not giving Serena his sword was the right thing to do, she's probably never even killed before, she won't know how to wield it properly. It would do far more good if it was back in his hand again…

He pushes these thoughts from his mind; he made a choice, a choice between himself and his apprentice. There was no choice to be made, her life is far more precious than his own, when he first wielded a blade his didn't have the faintest idea how to use it, but he managed to kill with it none the less. He did what needed to be done; there can be no regretting that.

Turning his attention back to the battle, he forms an Orb in his hand and leaps forwards to slam it into the exposed chest of Eis, as he rises from the ground and leaves himself unguarded.

The eye of the Fear Master widens in shock, his body reacts without him telling it to. Turning to smoke, just as Red's attack connects with his chest, narrowly avoiding harm. The hand of the young Knight passes through the smoke harmlessly.

Eis' cold hand reforms against his chest, stopping him from moving any further. The Orb in his hand dissolves away, as darkness explodes from the hand against his chest. He's hurled backwards and through the smoke, with a screeching skid of his armour against the steel floor, his battered and broken body slides along the ground. His bones are rattled and cracked; some are on the verge of breaking.

Eis reforms completely, standing tall and confident at the feet of his half dead opponent. With cold satisfaction he aims his palm towards Red's chest and forms a solid ball of ice. The ball is not large enough to kill, but small enough to bite into flesh when thrown. "You can't beat me Boy, not without your weapons… Look at you, pathetic. You're just like a Gyarados, you can roar and intimidate, but without your fangs, you're weak"

The pain, combined with his growing fatigue, has Red paralysed on the ground, motionless in pain. All he can do is stare up at the sky, and wait to be able to move again. The smoke from the burning city beneath them is forming faster than the Barrier can absorb it, allowing it to pool against its surface and shield it from sight. The heat from the same flames rises up and caresses his painful flesh, easing his pain ever so slightly.

As much as it pains him to admit, Eis is right. Without his weapons he might as well be dead again, his talons and fangs aren't as effective as cold hard glowing steel, his abilities over Aura are crap, leaving him with no means of fighting back. He needs a boost; he needs something that can give him the ability to fight back again…

He needs some fire.

As the thought for fire forms in his mind, an all too familiar sight catches his eye. A missile of fire, baring the unmistakable feeling of Charizard's Fire Blast attack. The light from the flaming missile illuminates the darkness and calls out to him. _"DON'T SAY I NEVER GIVE YOU NOTHIN'!"_ An all too familiar voice roared out to his brother.

The eyes of the battered Warrior widen at the sight of the glorious flame, his lips tug into a soft smile, Charizard felt his need and decided to help him. He sent him that which he needs to take back control over this battle and end this nightmare once and for all.

He shakily lifts his arm out towards the flames above, while they are nowhere near each other, he can feel the heat from them surging through his body. He can feel Charizard's heart beating alongside his own, giving him the strength he needs to carry on.

He shuts his eyes and focuses on the flames above.

Eis tilts his head curiously, what's he doing? Reaching out towards the sky? And what did that lizard mean? Don't say I never give you anything? What does that mean?

In an instant, it hits him. His one remaining eye shrinks in its socket, while the rest of his body trembles like a Caterpie facing off against a Salamance. The Fire Blast has stopped moving, the flames continue to dance, but their source remains motionless, as though something is holding them in place.

Feeling new strength flowing through his body, Red twists his arm back down towards his chest. "Come to me" He whispered. His limb moves incredibly slowly, as though he is pulling something incredibly heavy. Sweat runs down his forehead, as his fangs shrink back to their normal size and his talons return to finger nails. The flames begin to drop down towards him, gaining more and more momentum as they drop.

Fear envelops Eis, binding him in place and preventing him from taking another step forwards. The ice in his palm fizzles away into nothingness, giving way to the trembling sensation in his hands.

In the time it takes for the human eye to blink, the flames feed into his chest and flow through his entire body, breathing new life and energy into him as they go. His eyes open wide, giving white hot flames a means to erupt from their shimmering surface. He thrusts his hand forwards, towards Eis' chest.

"FROM ME TO YOU! **CHOKE ON IT!** " He roared at the top of his fire filled lungs.

An eruption of fire bursts through his palm and plough into Eis' chest, sending his black cloak aflame. The Master of cold stumbles backwards from the force behind the attack, frantically patting down his cloak as he does, desperately trying to extinguish the flames before he can call them back again.

Red jumps to his feet, snarling like a rabid Mightyena, with fire pouring from his eye sockets. With a clench of his fist the flames surrounding Eis leap from his body, form into a tight ball and slam into his chest again, far stronger than before. This time Eis is forced to the ground, as the flames return to their Master.

The flames quickly envelop the Warrior of Fire, swirling around him, licking at his flesh. The flames in his eyes finally die, revealing a pair of bloodshot blood red orbs. His entire body looks to be under incredible strain, sweat is pouring down his tensed muscles.

It seems that this is taking a massive toll on him, draining his energy much faster than normal combat. "I can't keep this up for too long, I need to end this now" He thought. He focuses his will against the fire, commanding it to obey him and bend to his will.

The flames are hesitant to do as he commands, but they creep into the palms of his hands. They form tight balls in his palms, they dance and rise into the air but remain focused in their source. Despite the heat surging from them, his flesh does not bleed nor burn, it's as though they aren't even hot against his skin.

The Master of Ice leaps back to his feet; parts of his cloak have been partially burned away, leaving singed holes throughout its surface. His hands quickly gain a layer of frost across their surface, as icy mist flows from his wrists. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire?" He taunted.

Through the strain, through the fatigue and through the bloodlust, Red smirks confidently, now certain of his victory today. "Yeah… But you know me Eis, I'm wild and free, I don't listen to anyone. You can't beat me now… You've brought Ice to a Fire fight. You're goanna melt"

Eis raises an eyebrow, while he smirks confidently. "Really? That's the best you can do? Make a pun on my typing?... Let's just get this over with; I have more important things to do than taunt you" He raises his hands before himself and holds them close together, forming a miniature blizzard between his palms. The icy blast remains firmly in place, refusing to leave the confines of his hands.

Red takes a deep breath; he too puts his hands together before himself, the flames pool together to form a single dancing ball. Unlike Eis' attack, his is escaping through his hands and into the outside world, seeking out something to burn.

The two of them pull their hands to their sides, still holding them together, to charge their attacks for a moment, building up the necessary power to destroy each other's attack and then claim the enemy behind it. A cold mist falls from the depths of Eis' cold lifeless eye, as well as the blinded orb that was once his other eye. Flames begin to rise once again from Red's blood red eyes, far stronger this time, they rise into his hair, but don't burn nor singe it.

With a strong thrust of their hands, the fighters of Fire and Ice release their elemental attacks. A continuous stream of air born ice is launched from Eis' hands, rouge chunks of ice fill the stream, one touch of this stream will freeze a limb solid. In contrast, an eruption of fire bursts through the hands of the Knight, the heat coming from their surface rivals that of Charizard's Flamethrower.

The two beams of power collide in the centre of the tower top, each vying to push the other back and destroy the other. The instant the elements collide, thick and heavy mist flows from their meeting point. This mist quickly spreads across the surface of the tower, pushed aside by their very source.

Red's teeth grind against each other, the exertion and strain from this attack is far greater than he thought it would be. As far as typing goes, he has the advantage, but Eis has the better chance to win this duel, due to his ability to summon ice at will. Eventually Red will run out of his fire, and be back where he was before this dual began.

Knowing this, he pours all the fire he has inside his soul into this attack, pushing himself as hard as he possibly can. Defeat is not an option. Far too many have died, far too much has been destroyed, far too much blood has been spilt for him to lose now.

Eis draws a toothy grin, he can feel it, he's starting to lose ground. The flames pouring from Red's hands are beginning to push their way through the chill of his ice. If Red can hold out long enough, then his flames will eventually split his ice and reach him. Perfect. "All according to plan" He thought.

The mist quickly grows thick, so thick it begins to obscure both the Warriors sights. All either of them can see, is a thick wall of white, blinding them from the battle they are waging. They will have to rely on their other senses to know which of them is winning this dual. Eis' grin widens, his plan is unfolding perfectly.

"(Glalie, it is time for you to play your part in my glorious plan)" He said to his floating ore of obsidian, via Message. Said floating ore of obsidian, covered in ice, grins widely and floats to his Master's side.

Glalie's jaws open wide, the coldest winds burst free from the confines of his body, in the form of a powerful Icy Wind attack. The Ice attack quickly joins Eis' own beam, combined they have the power to force the flames back and freeze the young Knight in place, effectively ending their battle and their war.

So why does Eis break his attack?

The Fear Master's hands separate, breaking the flow of ice coming from his hands. He throws Glalie a grateful smile, then focuses his attention firmly on his opponent. So far his plan has gone perfectly, the battlefield has been covered in a thick layer of mist, thick enough to conceal a man from sight as he moves through it. As Red cannot feel his Aura, he'll be able to move silently through the battlefield, and reach his prey without him ever realising it.

"It is time Boy, time for you to taste my blade once more" He whispered.

Using the shroud of mist as a cover, Eis silently stalks his prey. Red's so focused on the battle he doesn't notice the shadowy figure making his way through the mist. Eis takes his position behind Red, then summons a new weapon forth, a tiny dagger. The blade is long enough to deal a fatal wound to any normal person, but small enough to cause a slow and painful death to Red.

The blade is pure black and is dripping with Eis' poison, without a moment's hesitation Eis plunges the blade into Red's weak spot, the hole in his armour where he took that spear earlier today which left him with a scar, twisting the blade in his hardened flesh.

The pain of metal slicing through his flesh wrenches his head to the side, to his great confusion Eis is standing beside him, holding the poisoned blade in his flesh. The flames pouring from his eyes die, leaving him with a pair of blood red orbs of sight.

Eis' cold free hand wraps around Red's torso, binding him in place for a moment. He rips the blade out of the Knight's flesh and plunges it in harder, slicing him open a second time, spreading the poison that much faster. "My poison was never meant to kill you Boy, only lure you here to me… Where I have been waiting"

Red's hands drop from the air, taking the flow of fire with them. With nothing to oppose it, the flow of Icy Wind batters against him freely. Eis rips the blade from his flesh a second time, he turns to smoke once again and races towards Glalie, pre-emptively escaping Red's counterattack before he can even make it.

Upon seeing his Master return to him, Glalie stops his relentless Icy Wind attack and smiles, ecstatic that he has managed to complete his orders without screwing up.

Red's senses tell him that there is something hot running down his side once again, his sense of smell would normally be able to identify it for him without him needing to see it, but the overwhelming cold is screwing with his senses. His hands fall to the puncture wounds in his side, instantly his blood runs through his fingers, warming them for him. "I've been stabbed? Why doesn't it hurt?" He thought.

As the question forms in his mind, a new substance runs through his fingers, this one is definitely thicker than his blood. It dawns on him; Eis must have used his poison again. "Shit" He thought as his flesh begins to tingle and the feeling fade away.

Red's blood steadily flows from his wounds, the flow isn't as strong as it should be normally though, for some reason the poison is preventing him from bleeding out too much. "What? Lure me here?" He said.

Eis holds his blood soaked blade up, examining it to see just how much of his poison ended up in Red's body. There are a few drops of the black liquid left on the blade, a cruel smile forms on his lips, more than enough poison has made its way into Red's bloodstream. "Yes…" He hissed back. "I've spent twenty years on this plan; you came close to ruining it though. I made this poison to be a backup plan, in case I needed to give you some extra motivation"

* * *

Over in the park, the bodies of defeated Paladins litter the grassy plane. Blade has slaughtered them all quickly and without mercy, in most cases not giving them enough time to attack before he slaughters them.

Lucario turns to Serena, looking for answers in her face. She's just as confused as the others though, she hasn't got the faintest idea what Eis is talking about though. He turns back to the Orbs, what could Eis mean?

* * *

Eis slides his hand across his blade, turning it to smoke and returning it to his Aura once again. With an evil grin, he too turns to smoke and races across the metal surface, reforming behind Red once again.

Red's scrambled senses, combined with the poison circulating through his blood are slowing down his reaction speeds. Eis is standing behind him, long before he even realises that he was coming for him. The poison is clearly more potent than it was last time.

Eis doesn't give Red the time he needs to find him; he turns to his side and slams his boot into Red's spine. He grunts in pain and stumbles forwards, the cold metal stabs into his feet with every step, wearing him down slowly. Eis leaps forwards and slams his knee into his spine; the sudden and abrupt impact knocks him down to his hands and knees.

With diabolical pleasure, Eis raises his hands to eye level with his claw like fingers raised towards the sky above, darkness leaks from his hands. As he does this, the metal around the young Knight grows colder; frost quickly forms on its surface. Red's vision is badly blurring, he tries blinking to restore his sight.

Eis' cold fingers close in on his palms, coiling themselves into tight fists. Spikes of ice burst through the frost atop the metal flooring, stabbing into Red's arms and legs, trapping him in place. The ice keeps coming though, the spikes are holding him in place, allowing a fresh wave of the cold concoction to grow over his limbs, binding him to the ground. What little chance he had to escape has just been taken from him. "What the fuck?"

Eis' fists drop to his sides, a cold satisfied grin seems to be frozen on his face. He confidently strides towards the half frozen Red and crouches down beside him; on the side he stabbed him. "How does the ice feel Boy? Does it bring back memories?" He hissed.

Red's head is drenched in sweat, it's pouring off his forehead and onto the frostbitten metal. He doesn't offer any kind of response to Eis' question, he barely even heard him.

Eis holds his hand over the wounds; the thick black poison is still dripping from them. "I want your mind focused, when you finally break Boy" As he speaks, the toxic fluid lifts out of the blood soaked holes and into his cold hand. His hand seems to be absorbing the toxin, taking it into his body. The poison is quickly drained from Red's system, the more toxin that leaves his blood the sharper his senses grow.

While the cold is still taking its toll on his senses, he's almost back to normal as far as they go. He looks down at the ground, then at his arms and underside, the pain returns to him with a vengeance. The cold stabs into his very bones, chilling him from the inside out; he's been caught in Eis' trap… Shit.

His objective complete, Eis stands up tall and begins to slowly circle his helpless prey. He does a complete circle around him, ensuring that he's aware of what's going on around him. Once he's satisfied his prey is aware, he stops directly in front of him and holds his arms down at his sides. Red slowly lifts his head up to glare at his captor, as he does his eyes shrink in fear.

The floating skull of darkness above them all opens its jaws wide, opening like flood gates of a dam. Darkness pours out from the smoky creation's jaws, falling through the air and swirling around Eis, enveloping him in its power.

Red's jaw slowly hangs open; even more sweat floods down his face and onto the metal. His every fibre is swallowed by pure fear, what little chance Red had to turn this battle around is dissolving away quickly; Eis is revealing his true form. "Sweet merciful crap…" He whispered.

The skull of smoke closes its jaws, sealing the darkness shut once again. The smoky darkness slowly falls from Eis' body, before most of it has left him he resumes circling his prey, what little darkness is left on his body falls off as he walks.

His flesh is almost pure white; the only traces of colour are some of his veins and arteries that are too close to the surface. His hair is just as it was before, standing on end like icicles, the darkness that was falling from him climbs back up and is absorbed into his hair, turning it pitch black. His torso and head are covered by pitch black robes, obscuring his features from sight. Steel plates cover his shoulders, acting as armour. Six rib like sheets of steel cover a portion of his torso, rising up to connect to the steel covering his shoulders.

His black robes hang down from his waste, fluttering in the breeze, two belts hold them still across his body, and allow them to flutter at the same time. His legs are also covered by pitch black pants, they appear a little loose on him, but are held in place by leather straps around his calf muscles. His forearms are barely covered by sheets of steel, held in place by four leather straps. His finger nails turn black as the ace of spades and grow longer, sharper and stronger. They curl around ever so slightly, giving Eis the perfect means to hook into flesh and rip it apart.

His eyes have been turned pitch black, with his pupils glowing white, allowing his prey to look him in the eye. There are no boots on his feet anymore, allowing his skin crawling limbs to clearly be seen by all. He has only three elongated toes on each foot, while the foot itself has gotten shorter. His central toe is growing out of the centre of his foot, while the other two are growing from the sides of his feet, but are curled towards the front.

Eis has entered Burst mode.

 **(A/N He looks like Star Killer from SWTFU DLC Endor, with the minor change to his robes colour. His feet are the same as Freeza's feet from DBZ)**

Eis looks down at his helpless prey; he can smell the fear dripping from him in his sweat. "I'm going to break you Boy… It's time I finished what I started all those years ago. This time, when you die, you won't come back stronger" He hissed.

The half frozen man swallows the fear rising up in his throat; he knows he doesn't stand a chance against Eis now, but that doesn't mean he'll roll over and die. "You can't kill what's already dead Eis… You killed me years ago, my body may still draw breath, but I am as dead as they come"

Eis' dark smile grows larger; he shuts his eyes and slowly shakes his head at Red's words. "Well then, I guess that just means I need to break you slower… If you're already dead, then there's no need to rush"

* * *

Lily knows she should be fighting her way through the city with Willey, working as hard as they can to wipe out the Paladins and save as many people as they can, but she's enthralled by Charizard's strength and endurance. "H-How can he be that strong? He just keeps going back for more…"

Willey's face is host to colossal smile, his eyes are sparkling with amazement, never in all his life has he seen such an impressive battle. The partner of Mew's apprentice must be strong, but to be able to fight with a possessed Pokémon so fiercely, to be able to take so many powerful hits, he's nothing short of amazing. Never in all his young life has he been so inspired to fight.

Lily finally breaks her gaze from the battling dragons and turns to Willey, she can see he's fired up and wants to fight. "Red and Charizard are doing their part in this; we need to do the same. You up for the challenge?"

Without diverting his eyes from the great battle, he nods his head to acknowledge her. He has not passed the final test yet, so he does not have the power to feel the presence of darkness without searching with his Aura, but he knows there are plenty of Paladins left in this city, their stench assails his sense of smell.

He finally breaks his gaze and turns to his sister in arms, his eyes are still sparkling with amazement. "We've got Red and Charizard on our side, we can't lose" His voice echoes childlike belief and faith. He turns on the spot and bolts down the battlefield; his confidence is through the roof as is his burning desire to destroy all those who oppose his new found might. Lily quickly gives chase behind him, she's fast but his new found confidence has certainly given him a boost to his speed.

The duo turns a corner in the street, Willey's hunch was correct, a small battalion of Paladins is standing in the broken street. There are six Paladin Grunts, each armed with a sword and shield, being led by a single Sentinel who carries a brutal axe; all of their eyes are fixed on the battles above, the great dragons of Fire and Ground as well as the champions of Fire and Ice have fixated their attentions.

Willey draws a massive smirk; he sticks his foot out to slow himself down. "MAKE WAY FOR WILLEY!" He bellowed. None of the Paladins show any signs of even hearing his demand, their focus has shut down their senses to the outside world.

Not waiting for a reply, he begins his attack. The branch like staff in his hands glows green with Aura, pooling it into the crystals atop the weapon of choice, forming several Orbs of Aura. With the precision of a sniper, he plucks the staff from the earth and sweeps it across the Paladins. The Orbs of power break free from their creator and carry on towards their purpose, straight and true.

Not to be outdone, Lily charges an attack of her own; she raises her bladed staff above her head and twirls it in her hands. As her Aura flows through the carved wood, crystal and metal, sparks of pink light fall freely from it, making the street around them both shine and sparkle.

The green Orbs collide with their targets, shattering upon impact. The force of the blows is more than enough to knock the Grunts onto the ground, but not strong enough to do more unbalance the Sentinel. She's still standing strong.

The Sentinel is quick to break her gaze and turn to face her attacker, she sees two Knights standing there, one holding his staff confidently while the other prepares an attack of her own. Without waiting for her Grunts to recover from that rather weak attack, she holds her axe out to her side and charges towards the pair.

The Grunts quickly rise to their feet, some use their swords as leverage to push themselves, others use their shields, regardless of their methods the end result is the same. They charge towards their attackers, shields raised to form a small barrier of their own, the points of their swords poking through the small gaps ready to slice into flesh.

Willey's look of confidence does not waver, he raises his staff for a second strike, but is cut short by a burst of pink light rushing through the air towards the Sentinel's forehead. Her attack having gained enough power to strike this many enemies at once _and_ deal fatal blows. Lily grips her staff and swings it forwards, releasing the power stored within in the form of dozens of Bolts.

The bursts of crackling pink light race through the air towards their victims, the Sentinel is the first to feel their crackling sting, a single Bolt through her forehead ends her rein of death in an instant.

Without even waiting for Lily's attack to strike the remaining Paladins, Willey converts his body into a ball of green light once again and charges off on his own, leaving Lily to face them alone.

The remaining bolts of Aura burn their way through the Grunts, many of them feel the burn of multiple Bolts. Upon impact, they fall back to the ground with heavy thuds; they're all dead in a matter of seconds. The moment Willey abandoned her; she too abandoned her focus on the Paladins and watched him leave. "You bastard" She angrily growled.

As he turns a corner, he rematerializes and sprints on ahead of Lily even further. His face is plastered in a broad smirk, never in all his life has he felt so alive, so aware of his own power. "I can do this! I can win! I feel great!" He mentally screamed.

This new found confidence quickly evaporates though, his blood runs cold in his veins as his smirk melts from his face. Standing in the street, blocking the path completely, are thirteen Paladin Grunts, each armed to the teeth and ready to strike. They're each holding a spear in their hands, ready to strike the first living thing that crosses their path. Willey ran right into an ambush, a mistake that might just have cost him this battle. His arms drop to his sides, taking his confidence and staff with them. "Oh shit"

In perfect unison, the Grunts pull their spears back, building the necessary power to hurl them at their victim. Fear drills into Willey's gut, the horrific fear that those spears will be thrown through the air, split the natural gases in half as they go and then boor into his flesh, but this fear does not belong to him, but rather his partner.

A blur of blue leaps down from the rooftops, as the blur falls through the air, water based shuriken stars tear the air in two, on their way towards the Paladin Grunts.

Before these water stars of death can reach their mark, a spinning ball of pink metal bounces out from behind the grunts and into the air above them. A Forretress has come to the aid of the Grunts, its pink shell splits in half, revealing soft red flesh inside. A pair of round white eyes opens from the flesh; their blank stare expresses nothing but mindless obedience. Finally, four red spikes force their way through the soft flesh.

A shimmering green shield erupts from Forretress, enveloping the would-be victims of the lightning fast water attack, protecting them from harm. The shurikens are fast, but the shimmering shield was formed fast enough to block them from their targets.

The blue blur crashes down onto the rubble littered street, a puff of dust rises up from the feet of the blue Pokémon. It's a tall ninja like frog; its tongue's hanging out of its mouth and is wrapped around its neck like a scarf. Greninja sprints forwards, so fast she appears to be nothing but a blue blur, in less than a second she reaches her trainer, standing in front of him with a Water Shuriken attack formed between her hands. _"Master, that Forretress could explode at any moment!"_

Willey's eyes see past the shimmering shield, to the walnut like Pokémon creating it, a moment ago the spears were the object of his fear, now they're nothing but big ass tooth picks. Greninja is right; Forretress have a tendency to explode upon the slightest provocation, much like the Pokémon Electrode. "Shit… We're all dead" He muttered.

The female Knight that was left to slaughter the last wave of cattle-like Grunts finally catches up with her so called partner, her lips curled into her gums to form an angry snarl. He just left her like that, her, Lily Ketchum, he better have a dam good excuse for this.

The moment she sees his shinning head, glistening with sweat, her anger turns to fear and dread. Something's wrong, why's Greninja here? She should be out there fighting with Blaziken and Chatot, not here with Willey. She turns to see a horrible sight, a wave of Paladins readying themselves to attack, even worse she sees the Protect bubble dissolve away and the Forretress that was holding it retreat into his shell. "Holly shit!" She shouted.

The deadly tooth picks, held by the forces of darkness, quickly dissolve away, returning from whence they came. In their place, shields form and slam into the cracked ground. The metal covered Bug spins on his axis, using the momentum to charge up for his counter attack. The shields of the enemy huddle together, leaving little space to see through to their owners, at the same moment a black hue rises from the ground around them. The hue rises up the metal defences and forms a miniature Barrier around each of the Paladins, protecting them from the devastating effects of this next attack.

The air inside the man and woman in armour freezes solid, both of them recognise this manoeuvre, Forretress is a kamikaze and is going to take all three of them with him. The spears were just a distraction, a means to keep the one Knight in place while drawing in the other two. This was their plan all along; sacrifice a few measly Grunts to take down not just one of their enemies, but three of them. Leaving this city with only five protectors out of eight.

As he spins and gains more power, Forretress' shell begins to glow white with power, small cracks of static electricity indicate the explosion is imminent, they have mere seconds remaining. Greninja's eyes lock onto that living bomb, only one thought is passing through her mind, protecting her beloved partner from this, no matter the cost.

In a desperate attempt to protect him from this explosion, she abandons her Water attack and sprints forwards. She raises her right arm as she goes and holds it against her chest. Her powerful legs kick off the ground, propelling her into the air towards the glowing bomb, as she passes through the air, Dark energy pools into her raised arm, forming a Night Slash attack.

Without a thought to her own safety, or how much this will hurt her, she swings her Night Slash attack underneath Forretress and smashes it into his underside, flinging him high into the air. She watches as he climbs high above the rooftops, coming within striking distance of the Barrier, his shell is lost in a blinding display of white light, making him impossible to see.

Satisfied that they are all clear of the impending blast radius, she allows herself to fall down to the ground, not that there is much she could do to stop herself now. She kicks off the ground once again, landing in front of her trainer, who she sees as the most important thing in existence, grimacing as the pain from what she has just done kicks in.

Both of her friends and allies firmly focus their attention on her, unable to believe that she just did that, unable to accept that she just attacked a Pokémon that was preparing to destroy itself. The effects of such a brave and selfless act are easily apparent; Greninja's right arm hangs down beside her, utterly useless and beyond hope of healing. The point of contact has had its flesh burned away by the raw power behind the attack, there's nothing there but blackened lumps of twisted flesh and exposed bone. The flesh surrounding the wound has been drained off all life, leaving it shrivelled and blackened beyond recognition. Her arm is dead from the elbow down and will have to be amputated, once this nightmare ends, _if_ she survives it.

In an instant, Willey's world loses all trace of that mysterious oddity known as sound; his eyes are firmly locked onto his first and only Pokémon, not allowing him to be distracted by anything else. He doesn't even notice that Greninja's attack was _too_ fast, she didn't wait long enough to strike, Forretress is returning to the earth in another part of the city and he's almost charged up enough power for detonation.

Not even the deafening explosion is enough to break through his veil of silence.

* * *

A powerful shockwave rips throughout the city, shattering any and all surviving windows and glass objects. The glass covering the Prism tower, which is serving as the battle ground for Red and Eis, cracks apart and rains down upon those around it. The shards resemble chunks of hail, falling from the sky above to batter and bruise the living, only these hail stones won't batter and chill flesh, they'll rip and render it from the bones of anything unlucky enough to be caught in its path.

The winds caused by the explosion pick up soon after the shockwave, lifting civilians and Paladins alike and carrying them off to their deaths. The streets of Lumiose run redder with the combined blood of people and Pokémon alike, too much blood has been spilt today, far too much. Buildings that were standing strong before the blast, crumble before the might of such a devastating force, adding thick clouds of dust and debris to the mix.

The immediate area around the detonation erupts into flames, burning everything in its path indiscriminately, leaving nothing but ashes behind. A mushroom cloud rises up from the point of death and doom, carrying with it the ashes of the dead and dying. The very earth shakes from the force of the devastating attack, causing whatever crumbling remains of buildings, that are somehow still standing, to collapse to the earth.

The very earth around the point of detonation crystalizes, forming a fragile blackened surface, which would crack upon the slightest of touches.

The entire city pauses, almost all living things turn their attention to the deadly cloud, did that really happen? Did whoever's doing this really just set off an explosive device? Or was it some kind of Pokémon? If it was, then it'd have to have some serious power to be able to detonate with such incredible force and power.

Whatever chance the city had to be saved is gone, there is no coming back from this now, roughly a quarter of it has been erased while the rest of it has been horrifically scarred. Lumiose city is dead, never to shine again.

The mission of the Knights dies with the crushed remains of this city, burnt to a crisp along with countless others, they were to save this city and as many innocents as they could, but now there's nothing left to save. From the ashes of failure, their new mission arises; kill every last Paladin that has dared to take a breath. At any cost.

* * *

Willey barely feels the impact of what has just happened; he's been dumbfounded beyond belief, Greninja just sacrificed her right arm for him, without even being asked to. "No… No…" He murmured with a shaking head.

The brave Water Pokémon lifts her head up and looks into the eyes of her partner, a faint smile can be seen through her pain and shock, she risked everything to protect her trainer and she succeeded. _"It's alright, you're safe, and that's what matters"_

Finally the veil of silence surrounding his world is lifted, allowing him to hear the cries of pain and fear once again, as well as the crackling of flames in the distance, but most of all, he can hear the noble cries of Greninja.

Lily carefully examines the wound, having studied healing methods for years; she has built up an extensive knowledge of injuries and accompanying treatments. While she has seen a great many wounds in her life, she has never before seen the effects of touching an exploding Pokémon first hand, it's far worse than any pictures she could have ever seen. With an injury like this, there is absolutely nothing that can be done for the one unlucky enough to receive it, even amputation cannot save Greninja now… An injury like this is a death sentence; the energy that is used to create the explosion is lethal to any who come into contact with it. It will spread throughout her body, destroying her oxygen carrying red blood cells, causing the brain to be starved of vital oxygen, leading to death.

Already the effects of the toxic energy are making themselves known; thin black lines are running up Greninja's arm, leading up into her shoulder. She has a matter of hours left in this world.

All three of them are so absorbed by their own thoughts, that they don't notice the Grunts shields return to normal and dissolve away. The Grunts behind the shields are mostly astonished, why would she do that? Why would she endanger herself to try and deflect a dangerous explosive Pokémon? These are questions that their cruel and darkness driven minds cannot answer.

They all just stand there for a moment, baffled by the demonstration of the bond Knights share with their Pokémon. But all things must come to an end, the Paladins quickly remember that their mission is to kill all living things in this city that aren't in the service of the Eternal Master of Darkness, they summon their spears once again and take aim.

Willey's eyes remain firmly focused on those of his partner, he never really studied healing but he knows that if there was a way to help her, Lily would have done it by now. Sensing his thoughts of realisation, Greninja slowly shakes her head at him, confirming his fears.

The pain is already spreading though her arm into her shoulder, it won't be long before her entire body is enveloped in agony, she knows that her time has come. _"Looks like you'll have to go on without me Willey; looks like you'll have to make way for Willey alone… I'm so lucky to have called you brother, but I'm even luckier to call you friend… I love you brother"_

He slowly shakes his head back at her, as all traces of emotion abandon his face and eyes, leaving only pain in its stead. "No… I'm the lucky one, it's 'cause of you that I had the courage to ask her to be my wife, it's 'cause of you I even asked her out in first place… You are the best partner anyone could ever ask for, you are a better friend than I will ever deserve… I love you sister, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you" He whispered.

He curls his lips into his gums and wrenches his eyes up to face Lily, his strong hands coil around his staff's hilt as he puts every last drop of his power into his only weapon. The small but brilliant crystal shards atop the staff shine brightly with deep forest green Aura, for one last attack.

Lily lifts her eyes to watch him, what's he doing? Her answer comes quicker than she could have hopped. He swings his staff around on the spot, releasing the stored up power in a single bright blast of green light. Her eyes widen in shock as the blast crashes into her chest, lifting her off the ground and pushing her through the air to safety.

Willey takes one last look at his old friend and ex-lover, and then lowers his head and locks eyes with his oldest friend, one last time. Together they shut their eyes and take their final breaths. "Goodbye" They said together.

Time slows down for Lily as she passes through the air, carried by the final act of love from the man she's called friend since she first came to Kalos, the man she gave her virginity to and the man she trained with for so many years. Her eyes widen and swell with tears, as the deadly barrage of spears reaches Willey and Greninja.

The blood thirsty barrage meets its targets, the impact tears Willey's armour like sugar paper, exposing his flesh to its sharp sting. Their eyes wrench open as they taste the cold sting of steel against their flesh, spilling their blood upon the already soaked street, lifting their helpless bodies off the ground and through the air towards their final resting place. Their short lives come to an end, at the hands of a battalion of Paladin Grunts.

Greninja's broken body falls backwards through the air, her tainted blood abandoning her in mere moments and coating the ground below. As she falls, the light that once shone brightly in her eyes fizzles out, like a candle that has been left to burn for too long. She's dead before she even hits the ground.

Four of the spears collided with her, any one of them would have ended her life in mere minutes, combined they end her pain in seconds. A kindness worthy of her bravery, a kindness hidden behind an act of evil. Her final moments would have been filled with pain and suffering, instead they were of joy and friendship, she leaves this earth with a smile on her lips and courage in her heart. She dies the death of a Knight.

Like his partner and friend, Willey too is carried through the air by the deadly weapons; his blood abandons his failing body, forming a pool for him to spend his final moments. His only means of defence and offence slips from his grasp, flying through the air towards who knows where, never again to be used in the name of glory.

Three of the deadly weapons have pierced his armour and flesh, more than enough to end his frail life, but not enough to kill him instantly. His senses begin to leave him, taking the sting of the steel with them, allowing him to lie beside his partner and die with dignity and honour.

His eyes quickly turn glassy and unfocused, the light inside remains, but is quickly flickering away. He will not be allowed the same courtesy as Greninja, he will not be spared the humiliation of lying in his own mess, his bowls and bladder won't allow it. Having already emptied themselves, forcing him to lie in a puddle of his of blood and urine, with the stench of his own stool assailing his sense of smell. His final moments are not what he had hoped for.

The woman whom was given a chance at survival drops to the earth with an ear splitting screech, her armour leaving distinctive skid marks in the ground as she passes over it. Her cheeks damped as her tears fall freely from her eyes, carrying with them unspeakable pain. A pain that she is all too familiar with is burrowing its way through her chest with renewed force. The pain of loss is no stranger to Lily, she has felt it too much already at loss of her brother, now he has returned to them she thought the pain would end, but it seems to never end.

Without thought for her own safety or for those responsible for this horrible act, she turns her body into a ball of pink light once again and surges through the air towards her fallen friends. She rematerializes at their feet, her boots standing in their combined blood. Her hands are visibly shaking, so much so that her staff falls from her grasp and into the blood.

Her tears stream down from her eyes the moment she sees them both, they both have so many wounds, the causes of which are still firmly lodged in their bodies. Greninja is no longer drawing breath; her suffering has already been ended. She turns her attention to Willey.

His blood is spurting out from his mouth and nose, plastering his face with its crimson glory. His hands are trembling uncontrollably by his sides, trying to clutch something that isn't there, as if they long to touch something one last time before they expire.

Ignoring the foul stench coming from their bodies, Lily drops to her hands and knees and crawls to his side, taking his hand in hers to offer some kind of comfort. "Willey" She cried. "Don't leave me… Please"

His big brown eyes look up into her emerald green jewels; he clasps his hand down on hers, she returns the gesture with a light squeeze. An ocean of comfort floods through this simply gesture, the pain and humiliation of being dealt such a horrific injury fades into a distant memory, replaced by the comforting warmth of a close friend's love.

His lips curl into a simple smile, the blood that is trying to escape his body holds off momentarily, giving him the chance to say a final goodbye. "Live…." His lips part to allow a rouge mouthful of blood to escape, taking with it the last shreds of his strength. "…. Free…." He weakly rasped.

A fresh wave of warmth runs down Lily's cheeks, as her salty tears escape her eyes. She forces a verbal blade into her heart, to allow her to honour his final request. "Die well… You die a noble death my friend, I love you Willey" She cried.

Before her words can reach his ears, his eyes become glass like and empty. The last of his escaping blood passes through his nostrils and lips, taking with it the last shreds of life from his body. The light fades from his eyes, as his soul is plucked from his earthly body and is carried onto the other side.

Willey is dead. Like every other Knight alive, he held a burning desire to leave this world in a blaze of glory, dignity and honour. To be carried away by Yveltal's talons to the other side, as a Knight.

He got his wish, thanks to his old friend.

* * *

The deaths of those brave Knights echoes throughout the crippled city of Lumiose, calling out to those who know how to listen to the call of the other side. To most nothing has happened, simply because they aren't listening for the call, but to those who are fighting for retribution, the call is ignorable.

The grassy plains of the park have been torn apart by the explosion; the trees that were providing a beautiful scene before this nightmare began have been torn from their earth home and sent flying through the air. Some of the survivors, who sought refuge in this place, have been the victims of these once beautiful trees. The remains of the Steelix that was slaughtered earlier were also moved by the force of the shockwave, luckily Blade was able to use Protect quick enough to stop it from moving beyond curling around the shield.

Since the shockwave swept through the city, no survivors have made their way to the sanctuary of the park, perhaps there simply hasn't been enough time for them to make their way here, there is always the chance that the shockwave and fires have already claimed all those who could have survived this ordeal. Either way, Blade's duty remains clear, protect those who have found sanctuary here with his life.

His copies surround the edges of the park, waiting patiently for an enemy to make an appearance. The city is far too quiet, yes the sounds of destruction are raging throughout the city, but there haven't been any new sounds for quite some time. _"Something isn't right. They're planning something"_ He thought.

His thoughts are interrupted by an unfamiliar sensation flowing through his body and into his soul. His breath solidifies in his chest, pulling him down towards the earth like a ton of bricks; an all too familiar feeling of dread envelops him. He turns on the spot to face his senior, the aging Lucario who is allowing the others to see what is happening outside of the confines of this sanctuary.

Lucario's head is lowered and his eyes are closed, clearly he too is feeling exactly what Blade is feeling. He silently lifts his head to face his grandson's partner and opens his eyes. _"What you are feeling young one, is the feeling of one of our own leaving this world"_

Blade slowly lowers his head and shuts his eyes in respect for his fallen comrades, while he didn't know them, he will still show respect for any comrades who die with their weapons in their hands.

Those who don't have powers over their Aura are forced to watch these events through the Orbs in Lucario's paws. Each of their senses of empathy is working overtime, while none of them were as close to Willey and Greninja as Lily was, they can all clearly see how much she loved them both. Clemont and Bonnie never met Willey before today, and they never even got to see Greninja in person, so it's difficult to be saddened by their loss, what does hurt is the obvious pain Lily's in.

While Delia wasn't true friends with either of them, seeing as they were Lily's friends, she was very fond of them both. Willey was her favourite one of Lily's long list of ex-lovers, and she was very happy that they had remained friends after the relationship came to an end. Regardless of how well she knew them, her heart is stoned by their deaths, for Lily's pain if nothing else.

Serena was friends with both of the fallen Knights, while she could never be as close to them as Lily was, she did still call them friends. Other than Lily, she is hurting the most from the sight of their deaths.

* * *

Atop the shattered tower of glass, the half frozen Red's position gave him the perfect view over the city as the living bomb known as Forretress detonated, ending not just his own life but the lives of countless in an instant. The force of the shockwave hit him hard, hard enough to crack the ice holding him, but not enough to set him free. If it weren't for the wounds in his side, he'd be able to shatter the ice holding him and fight back.

If his hands were free when Forretress was detonating, he might have been able to take control over the flames and minimise the damage done to the city as well as the number of innocent lives lost. But they weren't and he couldn't, he was forced to watch the whole thing atop the tower.

Like his trapped opponent, Eis was forced to watch the entire detonation from atop his vantage point, unlike Red though Eis was furious. How dare Forretress act on his own accord, how dare he destroy himself like that, he was specifically ordered to detonate when he gave the order and not before.

In the minutes following the explosion, Eis just stood at the edge of the tower, trying to contain his blinding furry and channel it into something positive, like breaking his trapped opponent.

The same feeling that swallowed Blade quickly washes over Red, as it does a breath forces its way into his lungs sharply and his eyes widen. Unlike Blade, he doesn't have a wise elder to explain this horrible sensation to him; he'll have to rely on his instincts to explain it to him. Listening to their call, he shuts his eyes and lowers his head. "Shit. Umm… Go on to the other side and accept her tender embrace" He whispered. "I think that's right" He thought.

Upon hearing his voice, a dark grin falls across Eis' face as he turns to face the trapped Knight. He slithers like an Ekans towards his helpless victim, who hasn't noticed his approach yet.

Without hesitation or mercy, he delivers a swift and brutal kick to Red's face, snapping him out of his thoughts and bringing him back to the harshness of reality. "SILENCE!" He barked.

Red slowly lifts his head up to look upon his captor, as he does the foul taste of blood fills his mouth. Not to be ordered around by anyone, least of all his enemy, Red sucks up all the blood in his mouth and spits it up at his enemy. The result is a fine spray of red fluid that falls across Eis' once white feet.

Eis looks down at his feet and tilts his head on its side; he carefully examines the thin layer of saliva and blood that has plastered his feet. After a moment of examining Red's handiwork, he begins circling the male at his mercy. His eyes reveal nothing but pure, unrestrained darkness. "I'm going to make you suffer for that one Boy… Just like you made my servant suffer" He hissed.

The Knight of Fire shuts his ears off as Eis begins to speak; his attention is focused firmly on more important matters, like how he's going to get out of this blistering cold. "This cold shit is cracked, so that means its weak… If I can get enough power together, I bet I could break free" He thought. A twinge of pain in his left side reminds him off his wounds. "Oh yeah, that fucker stabbed me. Goanna have to heal them first, otherwise they'll slow me down"

The Fear Master finally stops circling him; he stands directly in front the man trapped by ice. A smirk has taken up residence on his face, the kind of smirk that screeches overconfidence, the kind of smirk that reveals a person's true emotion. "If I were you, I'd heal those wounds of yours, before you bleed to death"

The eyes of the fire wielding Knight remain firmly fixed on the ice below, he had almost forgotten about the stab wounds, having not been able to move the pain remained rather dull. Having lived a life full of pain, this pain is so weak it's barely even noticeable to him now. The risk of blood loss is still a significant threat to his survival though, that is something he can't just push to the back of his mind. "Fuck!" He thought.

Being forced to take Eis' advice hurts more than any knife wound ever could, being forced to listen to his enemy feels like obeying his commands. Despite his pride screeching for him to bleed out, just to spite Eis, he heals the wounds he was dealt earlier. Within seconds the two stab wounds close up, leaving nothing but a drying trail of blood in their place, and the all too familiar sensation of agonising pain.

The twisted foot with only three elongated toes rises up through the air and rests itself atop the head of Red, ruffling his hair in the process. "That's it Boy… Obey your betters instead of fighting them… Your reward for obeying me" The toes clamp down on the hairy foot rest. "I will tell you a little story of my own"

Red's eyes lift from the ice that holds him captive and rise as high as they can, due to his position he can only see Eis' cloak, hanging around his body. "Get this disgusting thing off my head. Now" He ordered, his words not particularly threatening, but carrying steel behind them.

The black eyebrows atop the cold man's forehead rise in surprise, he still has some fight left in him? That is surprising, even after the beatings he's taken, the pain he has endured, the humiliation he is now enduring he still wants to fight. "Hehehehehe… I don't know why I'm surprised Boy, pain didn't break you back in the day and you've only gotten stronger since then, why did I ever think it would work now?" He whispered.

He decides to give Red what he desires; his hair is warming his foot too much anyway. His foot quickly abandons its rest and plants itself back on the cold metal, sending chills throughout his foot and leg. "Much better" He thought.

Red lifts his head to glare at his enemy, while his fear hasn't lessened in the slightest, his power is returning to him now. Given enough time, he'll be able to regain enough power to break free of these icy shackles, but for that he needs time. "I've got to stall for time… You like talking, maybe I can get you blabbering" He thought. "You said something about a story, perfect"

He narrows his eyes and tries to look like he's weakening, it's better if Eis believes he is helpless, it will make him overconfident and easier to trick. "What's this stupid story crap then?" He spat.

Eis' eyes widen in their sockets and his jaw slowly opens. Did he just hear him right? Did Red just tell him to speak? A scoff of surprise escapes him, this is definitely an unexpected occurrence, but it is one he will definitely exploit. His arms rise and cross themselves, as a toothy grin forms on his face. "Well, this is a surprise. You actually want to hear something I have to say? Well far be it from me to deny you your desire Boy"

"You have killed many of my servants Boy; so many that I have gone beyond caring to keep track of them. But there is one whom you have allowed to live, deliberately allowed to live, you let him go" Eis' voice is filled with growing excitement; his love of speech is second only to his love of causing pain. "At the time I was baffled, why would you spare his life? He had caused you no harm, but rather your friend, something which should have driven you to kill him slowly and painfully… But you spared him"

Red was expecting something entirely different, maybe a speech about how his Master would soon cloak the world in darkness and burn it to the ground, or at least something to do with the carnage he has unleashed upon this place. But this, he never expected something like this. "I spared one of your servants? That's bullshit, I always butcher Paladins and feed their carcasses to Charizard, I'm calling bullshit on this story" He thought silently.

The darkness filled eyes of Eis lock onto Red's, in the midst of the electric blue sea, he sees the undeniable presence of doubt. "Hehehehehe… Have you already forgotten him Boy? Well, allow me to jog your memory… He has been working for P. Sycamore for several weeks now, waiting for my command to deliver _my_ message to her… Still nothing? Oh well, it might help if I tell you what he looks like" His voice is deliberately patronising.

"He has black hair, it's longer than either yours or mine, but not long enough to be called anything but shoulder length. It's thick but incredibly greasy, the grease looks like it's going to fall off at any moment, not unlike yours was just a few days ago" As his excitement grows stronger, the slower he speaks, as if trying to create a sense of tension between the two of them. "You even adopted one of my techniques to use against him… Surely that must ring some bells in that empty head off yours"

The gears in Red's mind slowly turn, with each descriptive item more and more of the potential suspects in his mind are shoved aside in favour of another. One thing is lingering in his mind though, adopted one of his techniques? What does that mean? He only fights with his own skills and methods, Eis' tactics are too cowardly for him to use, what could he be talking about?

"You marked him Boy, you grew out your claw and carved an X into his cheek, you've given him two years before you hunt him down… Then, you plan on ripping him apart and feeding his carcass to your lizard. I am certain you can figure out who he is now, but I still have more to say… His eyes were once filled with pride and confidence, but after what you did to him they're nothing but hollow and empty balls… Speaking of balls, you crushed his like ripe melons; he's barely even a man now. He still follows orders, but inside is just waiting for you to make good on that promise of yours"

The gears in Red's mind grind to a halt, their mission complete; he knows exactly who Eis speaks of. His breath freezes in his lungs, weighing him down and stopping him from taking a fresh one. "I let that mother fucker go… And he's one of you?" He whispered, unable to speak the words aloud.

Eis' grin grows wider, exposing more of his teeth to the world. "Yes Boy… Calem works for me. The 'man' who tried to rape your pretty little friend, the one you beat the living shit out of, brutally and mercilessly just two days ago, is my servant"

* * *

Lily feels Willey's grasp leave her hand, she hesitantly lets it go. With a soft thud, it drops to the ground. Driven by pain and sorrow, she stands up and continues to cry over his body. Her eyes have grown red and puffy; the bombardment of tears has all but destroyed their delicate surface. Her Irises are glowing brighter than ever before and her Aura is spiking out from her like a plasma lamp.

Her legs act on their own accord, turning her body to face those who stole their lives from them both. They stand in the street, their shields raised and ready to defend them from harm, bold as brass. In each of their faces, dark pleasure resides, clearly revelling in her pain and grief over the loss of her loved ones.

Her eyes take in their dark pleasure, each of their sickening faces stabs into her heart, just as sharp as any of their spears. As her pain grows stronger, so does her sorrow and sadness. Fresh tears roll down her cheeks, burning her eyes in their sockets as they make their escape, their salty run off sparkles in the light of the fires.

Her Aura crackles across her armour, arching off and smashing into nearby rubble. Each bolt strikes with the fury of lightning strike, shattering its unfortunate target into pebble like pieces, no bigger than a stray feather from a bird Pokémon. A horrific ides crackles in her mind, born from the pain of loss and the need to make them all feel her pain, to make them hurt as much as she is hurting right now.

"I'm going to break your minds. Enjoy your last moments" She muttered darkly.

* * *

Red's power is quickly returning to him, he has enough strength to break free of the ice now. But, maybe if he can keep Eis talking long enough, he'll get the chance to regain enough power to kill Eis. He just needs to keep him talking, that shouldn't be too hard. "Why should I give a shit who Calem works for? I'm going to gut him when I find his sorry carcass. Give me a fucking reason to care!"

The toothy grin on Eis' face drops into an angry snarl. He drops down to a crouched position before Red, his right hand lunges forwards and claws into his flesh, forcing him to look him in the eye. "A reason to care?... You mean you haven't put the pieces together yet? You haven't figured it all out yet?! IMBECILE!"

A look of repulsion hits Red's face; Eis' touch feels like countless tiny icicles stabbing into his skin, freezing it in place. His hatred of flesh against his skin augments the revulsion flowing from Eis' fingers. "FIGURED WHAT OUT?! STOP TALKING IN FUCKING RIDDLES!"

The cold fingers claw at his flesh harder, threatening to force their way through the thin layer of protective skin and meet the tissue beneath. "Are you sure you know what a riddle even is?" He mocked. "Hehehehe… OK then, I'll enlighten you Boy. Didn't you ever wonder, just _why_ you had a vision of the future, just in time to save her from the fate you foresaw?"

Despite the freezing touch of his enemy, holding his face in place, confusion manages to make its way across Red's face. Partly caused by Eis' choice of wording, enlighten? What does that mean? But the more concerning question lingering in his mind is how does Eis now he had a vision?

Seeing the confusion written across his face, the toothy grin returns to Eis' face once again. He leans his head in closer, close enough that his lips are an inch from his ear, allowing him to whisper his words and Red to hear him perfectly. "I gave you that _vision_ Boy… It wasn't really a vision of the future; it was nothing but a dream, a nightmare… Calem attacked Serena because I ordered him to, although he would have done so on his own eventually, I simply sped up the inevitable"

The sound of shattering glass echoes throughout the Knight's ears, taking away all other traces of sound from the world around him, giving him the silence he needs to comprehend what he just heard. Eis ordered Calem to rape Serena… Why? Why would he do that?

Thoughts that Eis could be lying roll into his mind, but are quickly pushed out again, Eis' heartbeat remains perfectly steady, telling him that he's not lying. He's responsible for Serena's pain and suffering, while he never touched her himself, he gave the order. "Why?... Why did you do that?" He found himself asking.

The Fear Master's claw like fingers dig into his flesh harder, this time enough to puncture the thin protection bare skin offers, but not enough to allow his blood to escape. "Why?... After all that fun we had together, you left me all alone… You ran and hid away in that hiding hole of yours, the one place I cannot follow you, only leaving for a few brief days at a time… How else was I supposed to get you out of there?" He whispered coldly.

These cold words turn the blood of the brave Knight to ice in his veins; his senses fail him one by one, cutting him off from the rest of the world. It's his fault… It's all his fault… Serena was almost raped because of him. Eis tried to have her raped, just to get him to come out of the forest.

Feeling the sudden chill in his flesh against his fingers, Eis slowly pulls his head away from the ear and stares into Red's eyes. "You were supposed to come running to help her, and find that she'd already suffered her fate… Then come here to stop her from ending both her life and the life of her unborn child, only to find _me_ waiting here for you… But you ruined everything"

Each and every word saps Red's strength from him, stealing away the energy he needs to break free from these icy shackles. All he can think about is that Serena went through the worst experience of her life, because of him.

The pressure of the cold claws against Red's flesh has already broken through his skin; now all that's left is for the life giving fluid to escape through the scratches. Beads of blood form at the tips of Eis' claws. "After I gave you the dream, I realised I made a potentially fatal mistake. I made sure you knew she was being rapped… You had no idea what rape was just three days ago, how could you possibly recognise it in a vision of the future?"

While Red's thoughts are dominated by the fate of his friend and apprentice, his ears pick up on Eis' cold words. Someone can foresee something they don't understand, but they won't recognise it for what it is. He hasn't got the faintest idea how humans mate, how could he have recognised what Calem was doing to her? He'd never even _heard_ the word 'rape' let alone have any understanding of its meaning, so how could he recognise Calem's attack as such?

The eye of Eis is drawn to the dots of crimson fluid at the ends of his fingers, the moment he sees the life giving blood an overpowering desire to lick it away is born. There is not nearly enough to satisfy his dark thirst, he needs more… His claws press in with just a shade more strength, just enough to increase the flow slightly. "You never were a bright one Boy… But I thought even _you_ would have seen this obvious mistake"

This slight increase in pressure is more than enough to allow a small stream of blood to trickle down his fingers. The temptation to remove this delicious fluid from his fingers is growing too strong; he must find a way to satisfy this thirst… But not yet, not until he has Red where he wants him. He places his head beside Red's again, allowing him to whisper into his ear and blocking the sight of the sweet fluid from his eyes. "You were so… Enthralled by her beauty, that you didn't even think about the mistake… You just came running… You played right into my hands… _Boy_ " He whispered.

The young Knight's eyes turn to glass, seeing without seeing, offering nothing but cold emptiness. Realisation has just introduced itself to him, if Eis was able to give him such a dream, does that mean he's in his head right now? Does he have access into his mind? Can he fuck with his head whenever he wants to?

A horrific feeling of violation and disgust crawls across his skin, like Bug Pokémon crawling between the layers of flesh that comprise the fleshy barrier. If Eis has the power to change his dreams, just how much control does he have over him?

The raw heat of the blood running down his fingers pains him, his desire to cleanse himself of this liquid is overpowering now. He needs to drink it, he _must_ have some soon. "Unfortunately… I greatly underestimated the strength and speed of your flying lizard friend… He carried you across the oceans and lands in mere hours… You arrived too soon… Calem didn't have the chance to finish what he started, before you… Punished him" He whispered once again.

How does he know all this? Has he been watching him this whole time? How much does he know? Was he watching the others as well? All these questions boor their way through Red's mind, carrying with them the urge to vomit.

The Fear Master's nostrils flare, allowing the sweet scent of blood to fill his nose and tease his sense of smell. "Do you know _why_ I gave the order for her rape? I gave you the dream, in which you saw it happen, what need was there to actually do it?... You don't know?... Oh… Well, I suppose there's no harm in you knowing… I wanted to see her suffer, the one you care so deeply for, I wanted to watch her break" His voice is as cold as his name, sending chills down his spine. "Now, I'm going to tell you more of my ingenious plan. You screwed it up by arriving too soon, so I was forced to improvise… I made use of my poison… The Frostbite venom I made just for you"

"I was planning on using it to subdue you into submission, just as I did; all I had to do was use it a little earlier and in a different way… And you came running here, like a Venomoth to a flame"

The temptation of the blood proves too strong for Eis to bear, he has no choice anymore, he must satisfy his dark thirst. He pulls his head back, giving him the perfect view of the delicious drink flowing down his fingers. "You needed a healer… And where better to find one, than a nice big place like this? I've spent months drawing out your kind, they were so easy to manipulate… All I had to do was throw them some drones, and they went on the hunt. I will admit the Knight Master was a challenge… I had to expose myself to lure him out; he thinks he's finally tracked me down… Fool"

Eis releases his clamp like grasp and stands up tall; the blood warming his fingers doesn't last long, his disgusting tongue wraps around his fingers cleansing them of the tasty fluid. His eyes slowly shut themselves, as a wave of ecstatic bliss washes down his throat. His thirst has been satisfied at last, now there is nothing stopping him from completing his task.

With his eyes still firmly shut and the bliss still sliding down his throat. "Years of planning… Years of waiting have all lead to this moment… My Master's will, _will_ finally be done" He whispered to himself.

His eyes slowly open, indescribable anticipation rises up through his dark, twisted soul, making every hair on his body stand on end. His blackened orbs of sight dart down towards the face of his enemy, having nothing to keep the scratches open, the blood has clotted to form light scabs across his skin. "I don't care how many lives have to be destroyed. I don't care how long I have to wait. I don't care about… Any of it… So long as my Master's will is done, so long as this ritual is complete and as long as my brother is finally free" He hissed.

Those last words did more than send chills down Red's spine; they ignite a fire inside of him. He tries to open his mouth to speak, but his jaw has been locked shut by his unbelievable anger raging like a fire inside of him. "What?... What?! You did all this for the Beast?!" He mentally screamed.

The ice holding his arms and legs in place begins to visibly tremble, the cracks spread, grow longer and thicker. This does not go unnoticed by Eis, whose eyes dart towards the ground, fixed on the icy shackles.

Red's eyes live up to his name; they light up with a burning blood red glow. While words cannot leave his locked jaw, a deep primal growl of rage can escape the confines of his teeth. "You sick bastard. You've murdered all these people and Pokémon, you've destroyed their homes and stripped them of everything, YOU TRIED TO HURT MY FRIENDS!... Just to get me here, so you can do some shit with the Beast?!" He mentally screeched. "(Eis… I swear I will do anything that I have to, to destroy every last piece of you… There will be _nothing_ left of you when I am done with you)" He said firmly via Message.

* * *

Garchomp falls to the cold ground again, Charizard's hovering in the air above her, sweat is pouring down his forehead as he desperately pants for breath. His fatigue is setting into his bones, its taking most of his energy just to keep himself afloat.

Garchomp rises from the rubble, her obvious cuts and bruises quickly heal as she does. She looks back up at her challenger and roars at him again.

He grinds his fangs together and tightens his fists in frustration. _"How can I beat her, when she's got an unlimited power supply?!"_ He growled to himself.

Her next attack is just as strong as her last, Charizard is right, she has unlimited power. A Hyper Beam collides with the male; a cloud of smoke overtakes him as he drops through the air towards the ground.

Before he can reach the safety of the concrete, Garchomp attacks again. Green flames of a Dragon Breath envelop him, hurdling him towards the half crushed remains of a building. The rubble swallows him whole, snuffing out the flames and releasing a thick cloud of dust.

Despite the lack of movement from the rubble that has encased him, Garchomp is not satisfied yet. Her claws grow longer and scaly, glowing green with Dragon energy. She's going to end this, once and for all, by ripping off his head.

Before she can even take a step towards him though, a Dark Pulse attack rips the air apart and crashes into her jaw, knocking her off balance momentarily. She turns towards the attacker, ready to use her Dragon Claw on them instead. Her eyes catch nothing but the shadow of something bulky, but low to the ground running away, leaving nothing behind but paw prints.

She abandons her search for her attacker, in favour of finishing off Charizard. She turns back to face the rubble, to find chunks of it have been removed, exposing his face. Blood is running down his forehead and his jaw is hanging open, he's knocked out but alive.

She begins her walk towards him, ignoring the change in his soon to be tomb, with her Dragon Claw raised to strike. _"I was reborn for the sole purpose of killing you, now in the name of the Eternal Master of Darkness, I will end your miserable life"_ She growled.

His eye bursts open, it's shrunk in the socket. _"Stronger bitches than you have tried and failed. I'm not going down yet"_ A deep and primal growl erupts from the rubble; it's enough to stop her in her tracks and stare. What's going on? What's making that sound?

Heated smoke rises from the cracks in the rubble, a brilliant orange glow overtakes the chunks of building encasing Charizard. A tremendous surge of heat cracks the cold rubble, as the glow grows brighter.

The rubble encasing Charizard explodes out, as a powerful fire erupts from within, carrying the broken building with it. Charizard rises from the flames, his tail flame twice its normal size as his special ability Blaze activates, powering up his Fire attacks.

With passion and determination in his eyes, Charizard summons his remaining strength for one last attack. _"If this doesn't take you down, then nothing will"_ He thought. His tail flames shrinks down to half its normal size, then reignites as a white flame, returning to its overgrown size.

He plants his feet firmly in the round, raises his wings up to provide some kind of balance and wrenches his jaws open wide. _"NOVE FLAME!"_ He roared as white hot flames rose from his throat and erupted from his mouth like a volcano.

The draconic fire crashes into Garchomp like a meteor, crushing her Dragon Claw attack. The flames push her across the ground, but her talons act as a decent anchor, preventing her from being pushed too far too quickly.

There isn't even the slightest hint of mercy as Charizard pours every ounce of power he has left into the attack. The flames double in size and strength, dwarfing their predecessors. Garchomp loses all standing; she's lifted clean off the air and carried towards the tower entrance.

As she's carried, she collides with countless chunks of rubble, which shatter into tiny pebbles upon impact. Nothing slows her down as she races towards her destination, her soon to be tomb, the entrance to Prism tower.

She crashes through the glass doors and smashes into the supporting structure inside. As the glass shatters and melts, the white hot flames finally die. Charizard's eye rolls back into his head as he falls to the ground face first. That attack took everything he had and more from him, he has barely enough strength to keep his heart beating as he loses consciousness. His tail flames returns to its normal colouring and reduces down to nothing but an ember.

* * *

Eis' cold, lifeless eye drills into the skull of his so called, helpless victim. His interest in the male rises, a few moments ago he was firmly in his control, now he has regressed back to his normal aggressive self. His lips curl into a twisted, toothy smile; it seems his theory was right; Red's trigger _is_ his anger. "This will be easier than I first thought" He thought. "His anger will make this process so much easier"

A low rumbling snaps Eis from his thoughts and draws the attention of all those atop the tower. They all look around for signs of the source of the sound, one by one they find the thundercloud forming above them all, with lightening crackling across its surface. "What? A thundercloud? How did that get here? The Barrier blocks weather effects from disrupting this ritual" Eis thought.

A single, blinding strike of lightening rips the cloud apart and descends down onto the tower top. Red is engulfed in crackling electricity. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screeched in agony.

The electricity surges through the metal ground, electrifying everything in its wake. Chomp's Ground typing prevents him from feeling the pain of such an attack, a light tingling sensation in his feet is all it does to him. Eis on the other hand, isn't so lucky. His entire body is engulfed by the crackling energy, paralysing his every muscle, rendering him helpless.

As quickly as it came, the bolt of lightning vanishes, revealing Red on his feet, with crackles of electricity passing over his body. The ice that was holding him has been destroyed, leaving nothing but a small puddle of water as a reminder of its hold over him. A few drops of blood show that it once held his flesh in its grasp.

Indescribable pain has wracked across Red's body, but it matters little to the Knight. All that matters now is that Eis pays for his evil, right here, right now. Ignoring the pain surging through his body, as well as his common sense screeching at him, he sprints forwards with his right fist tight and crackling with electricity.

The electricity that bound Eis' muscles fades, allowing him to easily move his head out of Red's attack's path. With a smug grin on his face, he pulls his head back and turns to take a look at the fist. A crackle of yellow energy flows across his knuckles, imitating a knuckle duster. "Ooh, shiny" He muttered patronisingly as the fist is pulled back from him.

Before Red can throw his fist again, his eyes shrink in pain. Eis' knee has forced itself into his gut, carrying steel behind it as well as the excess electricity that lingered in his body. "You're no match for me now Boy… I'm in a completely different league to you when in my true form" He hissed.

He pulls his knee back from its firm cushion, and places his foot back onto the cold metal. Without the support from his enemy, there is nothing keeping Red's legs standing. He drops to the ground, on his chest, with shrunk eyes. A trickle of blood leaks from the corner of his mouth, that one hit hurt more than any blow he's taken for weeks.

Eis looks down at his helpless prey, with a wide toothy grin. "The so called 'invincible' Boy is lying at my feet…" He slams his foot down on Red's back, knocking the air out of his lungs. "I don't care what I have to do… You will break today Boy, you will give me what I want"

Red doesn't even have the strength to writhe under his foot; all he can do is try to take in as much oxygen as possible to keep himself alive.

Eis grinds his foot against Red's back, cracking his armour in the process. "I remember when I first gave you that Mark Boy… You were so… Weak. You cried like a bitch when it burned your flesh, crying out for your mother, crying out for your sister… Crying out for your father. Anyone, so long as they helped you"

Red can only lie there, unable to move through the pain surging through him. "I… I did what?... Why… Why can't I remember?" He thought.

Eis' gaze turns from Red, to the burning city around them both. He looks at the baby Gible, who is too scared to move from his spot. "Aahhhh… You are the reason Garchomp resisted so much" He thought. "It doesn't matter anymore, she is no longer yours"

He turns towards Froslass and Glalie, both of which are watching him work. "When the ritual is complete, destroy Garchomp. She will no longer be of any use to us"

They nod in response, Froslass bows again. _"As you wish Master"_

He looks down at Red once again and smirks. "I grow tired of this, we shall begin" He raises both his arms and his head towards the Barrier above. "DARKNESS! THE TIME HAS COME!"

Instantly, four shots of smoke siphon off the Barrier and descend towards the top of the tower. As the smoke drops to them both, Eis lifts his foot from Red's back and steps backwards, his eyes firmly fixed on the smoke dropping down to them.

The source of his pain gone, Red pushes down on the ground beneath him to try and stand. Before he can do more than lift his torso though, the smoke reaches him. The shots wrap around his wrists and ankles tightly, cutting off the supply of blood. "What?" Is all he is able to say as they lift him up and onto his knees.

He struggles against his shackles, they are pure smoke, how can they hold him so tightly? Regardless he tries to pull himself free, but they hold him still. Eis watches with cruel pleasure, as he tries to free himself. "Hehehehehehe… Struggle as much as you want Boy, you can't break these shackles… The more you fight, the more of your strength they drain from you"

He raises his right hand high; Red's eyes fix on him as he continues to struggle against the smoke. Without saying a word, Eis clicks his fingers. The smoke that binds Red forms into shackles, black as a Mightyena's fur. They break from their source and drop down to the tower top. Despite this, Red still cannot shake them loose, it's like they're alive and refuse to let him escape.

The ends of the dark chains plough into the metal roof, tightening themselves in the process so he cannot move. He can only watch in horror as they bind him in place. Their positioning should allow him some movement or slack, but they have him locked tightly in place, he can't move.

Their true intentions become clear; his eyes widen in pain as red Aura flows around the shackles in a helix manoeuvre, taking with it his energy and strength. His flesh quickly grows paler and paler, the sensation throughout his body tingles away, leaving him with nothing but the agonising pain of his Aura being drained from him. "Oh God… These things are ripping my insides out" He thought weakly.

The Fear Master of Ice grabs his face once again, the wide toothy smirk still fixed on his face. "It hurts, doesn't it… You want it to stop?... All you have to do, to end the pain, is transform. It's just that easy, just give into your anger, let it all go" He hissed.

The young Knight's vision blurs, he can barely see his enemy, but he knows he's there. "That's… What you want? GWAH!... You want me to lose control? You want me to GGGRRRAAAAGGGGHHHH!... You want me in my Burst form? All this, just for that?!" He thought. He tries to focus his vison, to allow him to look into Eis' eye. While he's blurry, he can just about make out a long scar and black eyes. "Fuck. You" He spat weakly.

Eis digs his claws in harder and narrows his eye. "Wrong answer" He releases his grip and looks up to the Barrier once again. "NOW!" He screeched.

A fifth chain bursts through the smoke and drops down to meet the others. Unlike those that came before it, this one did not start as smoke and then become metal; this one is just a chain that seems to have no end.

The final chain reaches its target quicker than the others did, it coils itself around Red's throat and neck, with the end wrapped around itself, forming a noose made of metal. The death knot lifts itself higher, cutting off a portion of his air supply, not enough to kill him quickly, but enough to ensure a slow death.

* * *

Charizard forces his one eye to open, like his trainer's, his vision is blurry as well, he can barely see. He barely has the strength to keep the eyelid open, let alone defend himself anymore; he's as good as dead. _"Sorry Boss… I tried my best, but I'm just not strong enough"_ He growled weakly.

From the burning remains of the tower entrance, Garchomp rises and claws her way from the wreckage. Her entire body is wracked in heavy cuts and burns, her right arm is broken again and her left leg has a nasty gash in it. In any other battle she'd be finished, but this is not a normal battle.

Shots of smoke make their way through the flames and rubble, snaking their way towards the broken dragon. Each one snaps at her like a viper, coiling around her and enveloping her in the darkness within.

Charizard's blurry vison allows him to see the smoke make its way into the wreckage; he shuts his eye in defeat. He knows what's coming, her wounds are too severe for her to heal quickly, Eis has been forced to heal her himself. _"Heh, got a good hit in bitch"_

A dark snarl alerts him to her recovery, the sound of her footsteps battering against his ears tells him she's coming to end this battle, the echo of power focusing into her claws allows him to see with his ears, her Slash attack is ready to sever his head from his neck.

* * *

Lily stands over her enemies, her staff impaled into the earth. Her Aura is still crackling and sparking off her, shattering the debris into pebbles. Her face is soaked with tears; they continue to flood down from her eyes, which remain firmly clamped shut. Her ponytail has splintered out into five points; each one is flowing out around itself.

A pulse of Psychic energy breaks out across her, as it does each of the Paladins drops their weapons and clutches their heads in agony. One by one they drop to their knees and some the floor, writhing around in agony. Their faces show their screams, but no sound escapes their lips.

Her tears continue to flow, but her lips curl into her gums exposing her teeth. "You… You bastards" She cried. "You… You killed them both…. You animals!"

 **Time skip: 10 minutes**

The last of the Grunts releases his head, as it drops to the ground. She has broken his mind, in doing so, rendered him braindead. It'll take him some time to finally die, as it will the others, but there is no hope for any of them now. She opens her eyes and examines her handiwork; their breathing is getting weaker and weaker. She spits on them as they die. "Rot in Hell you shit heads"

The faintest of sounds brushes against her ears, it sounds like someone is speaking very faintly. She rips her staff out of the ground and turns on her heal, ready to strike at whoever dares to challenge her. Her vision catches a glimpse of something running away, it looked like there was something there, but at the same time it looked like nothing at all. "What the fuck?"

Without waiting for an answer to her question, she turns her attention to the bodies of her fallen friends, certain that whatever she saw has done something to disturb them. "Oh my god…" She whispered in disbelief.

Their bodies have indeed been disturbed, but not in the way she feared. Someone has pulled the spears from their flesh and placed them neatly next to them. That same person has straightened out their bodies to give them dignity; they've even clenched their right hands into fists and placed them over their hearts.

While they're still lying in their own filth and blood, their faces have been cleansed of the offending fluids to preserve their dignity. That same person has closed their eyes and shut their mouths, making them look like they're sleeping.

The same person has also placed Willey's staff against his chest, under his arm, reuniting man and weapon in death.

Lily raises her hand to her mouth, tears of joy fall down her cheeks as a smile forms on her mouth. "Whoever you are… Thank you. Thank you for giving them their last rites"

Some unknown force compels her to look away from them and look instead towards the tower; she does as the compulsion wishes, just in time to see the final chain drop down towards her brother. Instantly she knows what is going on, Eis is going for the kill. "Red"

Her tears dry from her eyes, her smile drops to a look of determination. Without hesitation she turns herself into a ball of light once again and charges off towards the remains of the tower, determined not to let what happened to Willey and Greninja happen to her brother. "I'm coming Red, hold on just a little longer"

* * *

The chain tightens its grip around the young Knight's throat, as it pulls his head up to face Eis and look him in the eye. Eis pulls his hands back behind his back; his evil smirk grows wider, exposing more teeth. "Now… You will either transform, or you will die"

As he speaks, his eyes open wide, wider than should be possible for a man. Despite only having one eye after the wound Red dealt him just two nights ago, both of the orbs in his eye sockets turn pure black and leak thick black smoke.

 **(A/N I don't own this song, nor any others. Circus for a psycho, by skillet)**

 **You push me till I break**

 **And the anger turns to rage**

 **Why can't you just leave me alone?**

The instant the smoke begins to flow, the sensation throughout Red's body returns to him, amplifying his already horrific pain. But also bringing new pain along with it, his Mark burns in his flesh.

 **Got your finger on the trigger**

 **You think that you're the winner**

 **But you're goanna get kicked**

 **Offa your throne!**

The pain from his Mark spreads across his arm, and boors into his flesh, to the depths of his soul. His eyes shrink in agony; his flesh feels like it's being stripped form his bones.

 **NO! OH NO!**

 **NO! OH!**

He is able to take in enough of a breath to allow his cries of pain to break free. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He wailed.

Eis ticks his head up sharply; as he does the chain around Red's throat lifts a little higher, preventing his screams of pain from escaping. "Much better" Eis whispered.

 **You think you're goanna hurt me**

 **Get ready to get dirty**

 **You created this monster!**

 **This monster!**

The pain delves deeper into his body; he can feel the darkness in the Mark delving into the depths of his power, drawing something out of hiding. Unable to scream anymore, he grinds his teeth in an attempt to handle the pain.

 **Pull the noose tighter and lift a little higher!**

' **Cause your killing me slow, I AIN'T READY TO DIE!**

 **Killing me slow, but I ain't ready to die!**

Eis tilts his head curiously, impressed by Red's endurance. "Well… It seems that you're even stronger than I thought, good. Either you'll give me what I want, right here right now… Or the Mark will force you to, either way I'm happy" He said coldly.

 **TONIGHT!**

 **GET READY FOR A FIGHT!**

 **So now you know it's time, to ride**

 **A CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

The dying Knight can feel himself slipping away; with each passing second his conscious mind dies a little more, giving way to the lost power being pulled free from the depths. His darkest desires surge through him, the desire to spill blood and tear flesh with his claws.

The Fear Master watches his trapped prey slowly slip before him. "You feel it… Don't you? The power, the power that you've kept locked away for so very long… Just let it out Boy… Let your true form come through, let your real power flow through you. EMBRACE THE DARKNESS IN YOUR SOUL!"

 **ROUND AND ROUND WE GO!**

 **Look out below, 'cause I want off this**

 **I want off this…**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

As Eis speaks these dark words of encouragement to him, he can feel the darkness trapped inside his heart rise up and press against its fleshy prison. The flames of hatred, anger and fear, all of them are burning their way through his body and his soul.

The Mark digs deeper into his flesh as well as his soul, drawing out the suppressed darkness from its hiding spot. The worst part is, he _wants_ to let it all out, he wants to set the evil inside his soul free.

 **Psycho, c-c-cho**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **Psycho here we go**

A cold smirk bubble up onto his face, the power feels _sssoooo_ good, like a lost friend has returned to his side.

A spark rises up from the ground, igniting a tiny flame at his knees. The flame circles around him, forming a vague ring of fire. The flames slowly rise up, growing stronger with each passing second. The flames lick at his flesh, reminding him who he truly is. "You are not an animal Red… You are a monster"

 **Everybody down**

 **Goanna burn it to the ground**

 **Can't keep this Beast inside**

 **This beast inside**

The cold smirk melts from his face, replaced by a vicious snarl. "What the fuck am I thinking? NO! I will _NEVER_ embrace the darkness!" He thought. "(I SERVE MEW AND ARCEUS! YOU WILL _NEVER_ FORCE ME TO BETRAY THEM!)" He screeched with his Aura.

The flames rise higher, slowly spinning around his body, threatening to engulf him in a blaze of rage induced fire, giving birth to the animal within.

 **NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!**

 **NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!**

 **YOU'RE KILLING ME SLOW**

 **I AIN'T READY TO DIE!**

Eis' smirk is dissolved by the rising rage inside of him, his hands lung forth and claw at his face. "YOU SERVE _FALSE_ GODS!" He screeched angrily.

 **Killing me slow, but I ain't ready to die**

 **TONIGHT! GET READY FOR A FIGHT!**

 **So now you know, it's time to ride…**

 **A CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **ROUND AND ROUND WE GO!**

 **Look out below! 'Cause I want off this**

 **I want off this…**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

Red may not be able to move his head, he may not be able to see straight, he may not be able to speak… But he can still fight. "(I swear I'll break these fucking things off me and strangle you with them! I'm going to rip you limb from limb and beat you to death with your own legs!)"

Eis claws at his face harder, drawing blood once again. "The only way you will ever be free from these chains, is if you transform Boy… Or if you die trying"

 **Psycho , c-c-cho**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **Psycho here we go!**

The Mark digs into him harder, clawing at the power it has found locked away. As it does, his hair begins to clump together to form spikes that rise towards the sky above, like a raging fire frozen mid flame.

With each passing second, his mind is getting closer and closer to losing consciousness and his instinct to kill grows stronger. He's losing this battle.

 **You think you're goanna hurt me**

 **Get ready to get dirty**

 **Goanna burn this place to the ground!**

 **Tonight get ready for a fight!**

 **So now you know it's time to ride**

 **A CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

The roots of his hair quickly change colour, strands of brilliant red quickly become visible. Others are turning slowly, like a drop of blood that falls down from a small cut, lingering against the flesh.

 **ROUND AND ROUND WE GO!**

 **LOOK OUT BELOW, IT'S TIME TO RIDE**

 **A CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **NEVER AGAIN!**

Eis' scowl breaks, as does his grip across Red's bleeding face; a toothy smile takes its place. This is it; years of planning and patience have finally led to this moment… The moment Red Ketchum breaks and the Beast becomes the man.

 **NEVER AGAIN!**

 **YOU'RE KILLING ME SLOW**

 **BUT I AIN'T READY TO DIE!**

 **ROUND AND ROUND WE GO**

 **LOOK OUT BELOW 'CAUSE**

 **I WANT OFF THIS, I WANT OFF THIS…**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

Red's vision distorts even further, quickly twisting into pitch black darkness. His other senses quickly follow suit, blinding him to the world around him and trapping him in his own little, lonely world of darkness. He has lost this battle.

 **Psycho, c-c-cho**

 **Circus for a psycho**

 **Psycho, here we go!**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **CIRCUS FOR A PSYCHO!**

 **Psycho, here we go!**

The voice of an enemy as old as hatred itself whispers in the dark. _**"You're so weak… So vulnerable… So Pathetic"**_

* * *

 **There it is guys, The Battle of Lumiose City part 2…. IT'S NOT OVER YET! CLIFF-HANGER! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **I'M OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND!**

 **Remember that phrase, when you see it again in one of the following chapters, you'll know…. THE DRAGONBORN COMES!**

 **Guess who. IN YOUR FACE! This wasn't random coincidence, Eis planned it all! HA! IN YOUR FACE! Did you really think that I'd just bring Eis in like I did for no reason? HA! Everything that's happened since the prologue ended has been because of Eis… Well almost everything, he certainly didn't have anything to do with Serena dragging Red to bed. Hehehehehehe.**

 **I told you guys before this arc these chapters would be the best, and I'm delivering. These have been by far the best chapters I've ever written and the most fun to write. But guess what… Next chapter's even better. No joke, next chapter's even better.**

 **There might be one or two more chapters in this arc, I'm not sure. But once the battle ends, then things are going to Hell… Kalos will never recover from what Eis has set in motion. Hehehehehehehe…**

 **I have some questions for you guys, do you want to know just why the Paladins are afraid of Red? Do you want to know why he's a Monster and not a man? Well do you?**

 **You'll get a sneak peek next chapter, or you might see it all, depending on how long the chapter turns out to be.**

 **I guarantee that you guys will see the secret he hides away inside himself, you will see what Eis wants from him, you will see the Invincible Monster of the Forest for yourselves… You will see why the Paladins fear his legend, why they believe he is nothing but a myth, he wields so much power that only the Eternal Master of Darkness could possibly have spawned him…. You will see just why Eis fears him. Yes, Eis fears the Invincible Monster, and with good reason.**

 **Just what does Eis want with Red? How's he goanna get out of these chains? What does the Beast want? Is Charizard goanna survive? What can Lily do to save Red? Who the Hell hit Lily?**

 **These questions will be answered in the following chapter or chapters, you guys need to be patient.**

 **Now guys, I'm afraid that after this arc I'll be taking a break for a while. Not because I'm losing steam, but because I want to plan ahead and get the timeline for this story planned. I want to adjust some plans to fit better with the story arc. I'm also making this story darker, not just a few dark things here and there, the whole story will be on a generally darker path.**

 **Really I want to make things better. I'll still be editing the old chapters; I'll post them when they're all done. You can check my profile to see where I'm at currently, any questions just PM me.**

 **If any of you guys like Pokémon high school fanfics, then take a look at this newly completed one. In or out, written by a very talented author, TDBigJ1213.**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Drop a suggestion for a chapter. Get angry with me for leaving it at a cliff-hanger, do whatever you guys want.**

 **Hit that Follow/Favourite button with your face!**

 **Dragon out!**


	12. The Battle of LC - Part 3

**Chapter 12: The Battle of Lumiose City – Part 3**

 **HEY GUYS!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back again! AND HE'S LOST HIS CRAZY PILLS!**

 **THE TURTLE FROM DBZ STOLE MY CRAZY PILLS! I'VE LOST MY TINY MIND AGAIN! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **I'm calling on all Walrus slayers reading this, I need your help. A demon Walrus, sent from Hell, has been given my crazy pills by the turtle, now he's demanding I finish this arc and get on with some amourshipping, otherwise he won't give them back.**

 **I say…. FUCK YOU WALRUS! I DON'T WANT MY CRAZY PILLS BACK! I'M MAD AND PROUD OF IT! BUT HE NEEDS TO DIE! NO ONE THREATENS A MAD MAN AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!**

 **But seriously now guys, this chapter's a good one, especially at the end, but it's nothing compared to what's coming next time. Hehehehehehehe… Next Chapter WILL be an end of this arc, then we'll move on and inject a bit of romance in.**

 **Que the cheesy violin music!**

 **Shoutouts to everyone who has hit that Follow/Favourite button with their face, it really helps and gives me that boost to write more and more! Also, I really shouldn't be saying this, but… Wolf, nice review. Eat a dick Guess Who.**

 **One last thing, chapters 1 through 4 have now been updated, 5 through 9 will be redone by the next update… So yeah, take a look at them as many things have changed. If nothing else re-read Chapter 4, BIG changes involving the Beast. If you don't read that one, then future shit won't make as much sense, don't read at your own risk!**

 **ENJOY GUYS!**

 **Disclaimer: (Standing in a church, surrounded by holy men) Holy man: Place your hand on this bible and swear you don't own Pokémon. (Places his hand on said bible) I swear I don't own Pokémon… Why am I even here? I'm banned from the church. (The book under his hand erupts into flames) ARGH IT BURNS!**

* * *

 **Previously**

When we last saw the Invincible Monster, he was on his knees and chained up… No there's no kinky shit going down, he was being stripped of his Aura, the life force he needs to survive.

Lily narrowly avoided the cold sting of the Paladin spears; in her place two of her oldest friends took each one of them… They both died the deaths of Knights. A mystery figure gave them their final rights, allowing them to rest in peace.

And now we return to the Battle of Lumiose city…

* * *

The crushed world around the dragon of fire grows darker with every passing second, having taken too much damage; he begins to drift into the world of dreamless sleep. Charizard has lost his battle against the near-immortal Garchomp, causing him to begin a new battle, one he cannot hope to win, a battle to stay awake.

Garchomp's claw glows white and grows longer, forming a Slash attack. This has been a long and painful battle for her, but finally she has her opponent cornered, there's no escape for him now. She makes her way towards him, moving as though she hasn't taken a single hit.

Despite his injuries Charizard fights to stay awake, he must, if he surrenders and drifts off to the realm of the unconscious, then his head will be severed and mounted on a spike for the world to see. He's tired though, so very tired, he's been fighting for hours, but it feels like an eternity. He's given so much in this battle, more than he thought he could give, all so he could buy Red as much time as possible to kill Eis… But he just hasn't got anything left to give, he's exhausted.

" _Sorry Boss… I think I'm beat. Got ya as much time as I could though, it's up to you now… Kill Eis for what he's done to us"_ He growled very weakly. _"I know you've got more fight left in you… Rip his heart out and send him back to Hell where he belongs"_

Garchomp raises her claw high above her head, allowing for a single swing which will sever flesh from bone. _"In the glorious name of the Eternal Master of Darkness, the one true god, I kill you lizard"_

The sound of the air being torn fills his powerful sense of hearing, alerting him to his inevitable end. She's had enough talking now and is going straight for the kill. _"Just try it bitch, stronger bitches than you have tried and failed… I can still fight"_ He weakly rasped.

He braces for the pain of her claws gliding through his flesh, then his bones, he's felt pain like this before and it's not goanna be pleasant. At least it will be over soon.

Yet the pain he has been anticipating never comes, no claws rip his flesh apart. Instead her howls of agony fill his ears, tantalising his sense of hearing and offering him a flicker of hope that he may survive this battle.

Before Garchomp can deal the final blow and end his short life, the fire coated foot of her newest challenger slams into her jaw, knocking her away from him and breaking her attack. Blaziken's Blaze Kick seemingly comes from nowhere, to defend Charizard and challenge Garchomp in a single act.

The immense force behind his attack more than makes up for the severe type disadvantage. She staggers backwards, clutching her burned scales and cursing the name of the one who attacked her. Refusing to give her a chance to recover, Blaziken strikes her jaw with a Sky Uppercut, lifting her clean off the ground and into the air.

While she's vulnerable, he delivers a powerful Mega Kick to her chest, sending the Dragon of the earth flying through the air uncontrollably. Her flight is interrupted by the remains of a crushed building, his attacks where enough to wind her, but not enough to cause serious harm.

The sounds of battle tempt Charizard; tempt him to leave his lonely world to embrace the battlefield once more. He never was one to ignore temptation, well, when it comes to battling anyway. His eye opens a crack, just enough to allow him to see Blaziken standing over him in a defensive stance. His talons drip with the blood of Paladin scum, his wrists burn with the flames of war and his feathers are matted with the bodily fluids of those he has slaughtered today.

" _Hey! I don't fucking need your help; I can gut this bitch by myself! NOW FUCK OFF BEFORE I RIP YOUR FUCKING FEATHERS OUT ONE BY ONE AND JAM THEM UP YOUR ASS!"_ The death threat forms in his mind, but fails to pass through his jaws.

His eye catches the sight of Garchomp clambering out of the rubble, snarling like a mad woman at her new challenger. Blaziken's stance doesn't waver in the slightest, he knew that last barrage of attacks wasn't enough to knock her out, just slow her down a little bit.

" _Garchomp I is not wantin' ta fight yawl"_ Blaziken said, with a southern accent. _"Yawl gotta a babe ta think of, is yawl wantin' 'em to see ya like this?"_

She refuses to answer him, at least not with words. Her body language and snarls are more than enough to tell him she's not backing down simply because he's asking her to.

" _Garchomp if I fight yawl, you'll be hurt somethin' fierce. Yawl babe be needin' yawl, yawl got more than ya self ta think of now… Please Garchomp, yawl be my friend fer years now, please control yourself… I is NOT wantin' to hurt yawl!"_

She ignores his desperate pleas, and throws herself forwards in a Dragon Rush attack. His quick dodging skills allow him to avoid her, but just barely.

As she passes him, he catches a glimpse of her eyes. His own organs of sight widen at what sees, she's been possessed. There's nothing he can ever do to calm her down, he's not got a close enough bond with her to do it, there's only one thing he can do.

She turns around mid-air, then charges towards him once again with Dragon Rush. The emptiness of her eyes fills him with pity, this isn't her fault, none of it is… She's been turned into a puppet, controlled by Eis. But that doesn't change the fact that she needs to be taken down.

" _I's sorry Garchomp, but I gots ta open a can o' whoop ass on ya!"_ He called out, with what looks to be tears in the corners of his eyes.

A swift roundhouse kick to her jaw breaks her concentration, ending her most powerful attack in an instant. Now that she's free from Dragon energy, Blaziken's able to lung forwards and slam a sizzling Fire Punch straight into her face.

Her feet once again find the ground; she stumbles backwards, clutching her burned face once again. Without hesitation, but with mercy, he pounds a Brick Break into her diaphragm, forcing the air from her lungs, leaving her stunned and open for yet another attack.

Each blow hurts him far more than it hurts her, she's had her mind stolen from her, she can't choose what she does. It must hurt her a lot to see herself doing all these horrible things, but at least she knows she's not _choosing_ to do it… It hurts him far more to choose to hurt one of his close friends.

While she's stunned and unable to attack, he forms a Focus Blast attack between his talons, a large blue sphere of Fighting energy. _"I'S SORRY!"_ He cried out as he hurled the sphere straight into her torso.

The ball of energy explodes the moment it makes contact with her scally skin, sending her flying through the air uncontrollably. Her _'pleasant'_ flight is interrupted when she crashes into the remains of the crushed fountain, her eyes tightly shut as she quietly moans in pain.

For a moment all he can do is watch her, lying in the rubble and water, in agony. He bones were probably broken by that attack; she won't be able to move properly for days, maybe weeks. He drops his head into a bow, with his eyes tightly shut out of respect.

He knows all too well that Garchomp's not a battler; she can't take attacks as well as a Pokémon who _does_ battler regularly. Even attacks that she's strong against will hurt like a bitch for hours.

With a heavy sigh, he turns away from her and raises his head. He had no choice but to take her down, he made a promise the same as Lily did, to do what must be done, no matter the cost. She had to be taken down. There's no two ways about it, someone had to do it and he was the only one who could.

He crouches down beside Charizard, offering him a hand up. _"Is I interuptin' yer nap?"_ He asked with a sassy grin.

Enraged by the sassy comment, as well as the silent offer of help, Charizard finds the strength to force his eye open all the way. _"Shove that hand up your ass; you must've had a lot of practise at that before… Why the fuck are you talkin' so weird?"_

The giant red bird like Pokémon stands up again, withdrawing his offer of help by crossing his arms. _"Blame the writer, he dog gone decided my per-so-nality were bland. Dum idgit dog gone made me sound like this"_ He said with a death glare towards the writer. _"I's talkin' ta you Mad Ass Dragon"_

Charizard's battered face floods with interest, so much so that he forgets he's supposed to be injured and tired for a moment and lifts his head up to look the same way as Blaziken. _"You mean that dumb fucker actually listens to us? HEY! Don't screw me over in the fucking gym battle! I wanna wreck shit you hear me?!"_

The roar of dragon, whose tiny mind is long since lost, calls out across the battlefield. "SHUT THE FUCK UP THE PAIR OF YOU AND STICK TO FUCKING SCRIPT! JUST FOR THAT CHARIZARD, I **WILL** SCREW YOU OVER IN THE GYM! **NOW GET BACK TO WORK!** "

With an angry scowl across his face, Charizard drops back down to the ground, once again tired and in severe pain. _"Dumb ass, you just got me screwed over… Watch out Blaziken, the bitch'll be back up soon"_ He weakly growled.

Blaziken shoots one final evil glare towards the writer, before returning to face Charizard. _"What ye talkin' 'bout? Garchomp be down fer good"_ He said with a flick of his wrist.

From the remains of the crushed fountain, that now runs red with blood, an angry snarl forces the water to ripple. In a burst of blood and water, Garchomp rises, fully healed and ready to rip both Blaziken and Charizard limb from limb.

Both Blaziken and Charizard turn their attention straight towards the fountain, to see Garchomp stomping her way towards them both, with her eyes bursting at the seams with darkness. Blaziken's eyes twitch in their sockets, while Charizard grins smugly. _"If she's down, why does she look like she's goanna rip your feathers out one by one?"_

Are his eyes playing tricks on him? How did Garchomp recover so quickly from that barrage of attacks? She looks good as new. _"I's can't believe my eyes… She be back up and fightin' again… Maybe yawl isn't as weak as I reckoned"_ He weakly stammered.

Charizard snorts out a lung full of smoke, growling darkly at his counterpart. _"I'm goanna get you for that one you walking bucket of KFC. Once this shit's done, I'm goanna beat the crap out of you"_ He growled under his breath.

* * *

Elsewhere, a brave soul suffers the agony of having his life force ripped from his body. While the Dragon of the earth has been facing off against both the Fire starters, Red's life has begun to slip away from him.

The cold steel of the tower stabs into his knees, but it pales in comparison to the pain the chains wrapped around his wrists and throat are causing him. Their shimmering black surface reflects the pure red light of his Aura, as it is stolen from the depths of his soul.

His flesh is growing dangerously pale, as though no blood is being pumped through his body anymore. How can it be pumped, if his heart is going into a spasm in his chest?

While the chains are draining his Aura, every last drop of it and sending it straight to Hell, the Beast begins its attack. It finds that there is no resistance in Red; his will to fight it is far too weak. Taking advantage of his weakened state, it begins to whisper into his ear. _**"You're so weak… So vulnerable… So pathetic. You have incredible power at your fingertips, but you're so weak you can't even break these pathetic excuses for chains"**_

As it whispers into his ear, he feels the pain in his heart intensify, as though it's being crushed inside his ribcage again. _**"Eis can drain you dry for all I care, my Master will undoubtedly enjoy the taste of your power. I couldn't care less how much power you lose, but I do want to tell that interfering bastard who's boss"**_

The chains have stolen near enough all of his power from him; he has barely anything left now. He's far too weak to resist the Beast; he's wide open for possession. As the pain in his heart heightens, a black hue forces its way out of his head, swallowing it entirely. His eyes slowly open, revealing the Liepard like pupils of the Beast.

The ice inside Eis' soul seeps out into his well-aged body, freezing him in place, like an ice sculpture waiting to melt. The sight of the black hue fills him with a mixture of conflicting emotions, fear being the dominant and most powerful of them, followed closely by a flicker of hope and anxiety. Years of waiting and planning have finally led to this moment… The Beast will _finally_ become the man.

The chains that both bind Red in place and drain the energy he needs to live, don't seem to be affecting the Beast whatsoever, it's as though it's immune to their cold sting. It's able to force Red's head forwards, completely cutting off his source of oxygen. Despite this, it pulls his face to form an angry snarl.

" _ **(I am**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **your pawn Eis. You cannot use me to do your dirty work. If this city is to be destroyed, it won't be by my hand. YOU HEAR ME!?)"**_ It angrily screeched through Aura Message. _**"(I have my own plans to achieve freedom from this rotting piece of meat. I DON'T NEED HELP FROM**_ _ **ANYONE**_ _ **!)"**_

The venomous words of the Beast shatter the frozen mind of Eis, drilling intense terror straight through his eyes and into the fleshy brain behind. A cold sweat pours down his face, stinging his flesh as it goes down. His lungs begin to suck air into their folds, faster than they were ever meant to; he's on the brink of hyperventilating.

As if the tone of voice wasn't enough of an indication of its hatred, he can literally feel the hatred flowing from its Aura. It's hatred for him remains as strong as the day he killed both it and Red; it seems that the Beast does not forgive, nor does it forget.

"Beast… You have been trying for years to gain your freedom; the only way to do it is to break the Boy. You can't do it alone, you need help" He said slowly, his voice trembling in terror.

The shimmering red light flowing across the surface of the blackened chains begins to weaken, indicating that their task is almost complete, Red's almost drained dry. This is bad, very bad; if Red runs out of Aura he'll have nothing to keep himself alive.

It doesn't have much time left; if it uses up the last of Red's energy it'll kill him, along with itself. It needs to wrap this up quickly. _**"(I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP OR ANYONE ELSES! I have my own plans for freedom, I WILL break the Boy myself, your crude methods failed before and they will fail again… Mine won't)"**_ It hissed with a death glare across its face.

The evil look in its eyes screeches out to Eis, telling him that if it were able to possess Red fully, without fear of killing him, it'd rip his face off and piss on it.

The fear trickling down his face grows stronger with each passing second, making even being near the Beast an incredible effort, his fear is overpowering him. Why? Why is he so terrified of it?

Because he has felt its limitless furry for himself, he's felt the Black Fire and knows just how it kills you, he's felt first-hand how much pain the Beast inflicts upon those it hates. He's experienced some horrible things in his long life, things no one should ever go through, but nothing compares to the furry of the Beast… It was even worse than what he went through to get his powers.

He forces these thoughts from his mind, he doesn't have time for thoughts of the past, he must focus on the task at hand. To end the endless cycle of hatred between them, to end his obsession, the Beast _must_ be free.

"You can be free Beast; I was planning for this moment long before either you or the Boy were even born. Master tasked me with setting you free, he knew it would be a difficult task, but he knew I could do it… I admit I made a mistake, I got greedy and tried to save myself time, but it's the past. You need to-" His trembling voice is cut off, before he can get to the point of his babbling.

The evil cackles of the Beast clamp Eis' jaws shut tightly, sending a river of fear flooding down his face. _**"(You will NEVER break the Boy. I know your plan, it's so simple a… Small thing could have thought of it. Force the Boy to his knees, drain his power from him, to try and get back on our Master's good side again. Then force him to transform into his Burst form, then while his mind is weak and unable to resist, you expect me to possess him and use his power to stay in control for a long time. But then what do you want from me?)"**_

" _ **(Don't answer; I can't stand the sound of your voice. I already know what you want from me… You want me to destroy what's left of this city, to kill every living thing here, including the Boy's family. Well I won't do it)"**_

While the Beast rants on how it won't be used like this, the light flowing across the chains grows fainter with every passing second. Time is running out. As long as the Beast maintains its hold over his head, he is unable to transform. The Burst is essential to Eis' plans, without the power of the transformation; years of work and patience will never bear fruit.

Just this once, it needs to let him go, it needs to release its hold over Red. They'll both die if it doesn't.

The Beast seems to be unaware of its own imminent death, as it continues to monologue. _**"(I couldn't care less about those cattle that share his blood; given the chance I'd slaughter them all in a heartbeat!)"**_ It spat venomously. _**"(But I won't do it because YOU want me to! I WILL**_ _ **NEVER**_ _ **BEND TO YOUR WILL!)"**_

With that last hiss of venom, the Beast vanishes from Red's form, taking with it the black hue surrounding his head. His exhausted mind returns to his body, just in time to feel the final shreds of his Aura be stripped from his flesh.

Before he drifts off into unconsciousness, he feels the darkness inside the Mark stop spreading through his flesh, the pain it was causing him finally dies. The forced transformation comes to an end before it can truly begin, without it he has nothing left to keep his heart beating.

The fear that was dripping down Eis' face loses its source, allowing his overpowering rage to clench his fists together tightly. "You're far too proud for your own good Beast. You have extraordinary power; you might even be the strongest of us right now, but even you need help sometimes" He thought angrily. "How ironic, you're just as proud as the Boy. It's one of the two things you have in common with him, along with a burning hatred for myself of course. You are the same as him in this regard; your pride blinds you both and will be your downfall"

Despite the Mark's loss of power, the smoke continues to flow from his eye sockets. He watches the last shreds of Red's Aura be ripped from him, with a curious grin on his face, this will be interesting to watch. "I wonder, how will you escape this one Boy? Without life force, how will you survive?"

Truth be told Eis couldn't care less about accidentally draining too much power from Red, the Beast won't let him die. Not yet anyway, as it requires him for its own existence. He knows Red's heart won't stop.

Deciding that there is no need for concern, he decides to reflect on what he has done to warrant such white hot hatred from the Beast. "Perhaps I did go too far when I ended the Boy's short life, and by extension the Beast's. But that was such a long time ago, why does it still harbour such a strong grudge? It's alive now and that's what's important… Somehow it was able to pull the Boy back from death itself, so what does it matter anymore?"

The light that shines in the eyes of every living creature dulls in Red's organs of sight; he has mere seconds to live now.

Eis continues to ignore the death of his opponent, in favour of pondering his thoughts more. "I may have gone too far, but you must understand that I was not thinking clearly Beast, my mind was taken over by fear. I was desperate for results. I didn't have a choice. You know as well as I do the cost of failure…" A lump forms in his throat, one he can't seem to swallow. "Failure, means assimilation"

The swirling red light that was previously climbing its way across the surface of the chains finally dies, there's nothing left in him to be taken. Their purpose fulfilled, the chains around his arms dissolve away link by link, into puffs of black smoke. With nothing to hold them up, his arms drop through the air and hang freely from his limp body.

Cracks spread across the surface of his opaque, bright red armour that covers his body. The cracks deepen and evolve into splits, causing chunks to break free from the whole. The chunks of Aura made steel rise from the whole, dissolving away into clumps of red light; the light coils its way up the final chain around his throat.

Within seconds all of his armour dissolves away into light and is absorbed by the one remaining chain, leaving him with nothing but his robes to preserve his dignity. At the time the loss of his weapons seemed like the end of the world, but now it's more of a blessing in disguise, if he still had them they too would have been stolen from him.

The final chain around his throat finally releases its hold over him, uncoiling itself from his flesh and climbing back up into the smoky Barrier above. With nothing to support his weight, he finally drops to the cold steel below. His senses have failed him, leaving him trapped in his own tiny, lonely world without sensation. He can't even feel the sting of the cold against his cheek.

Despite this loss, he can still feel his heartbeat, growing weaker and weaker.

Finally, the sweet embrace of death comes for him yet again. "This time I'm not coming back… I won't wake up to find even more pain waiting for me. Finally my pain will end" His eyes slowly shut, in a final submission to death's embrace. "Yveltal's comin' for me again, comin' for my soul. Finally he's goanna take me to the other side, and this time he's goanna leave me there… Finally I'm goanna know _true_ freedom"

As these final thoughts flow through his mind, his heartbeat finally dies, coming to a complete stop. With the faintest of smiles across his pale face, his heart gives out.

As the chain climbs back up into the Barrier, the smoke finally stops flowing from Eis' eye sockets, revealing his one good eye. He watches his victim with lazy disinterest, he knows that he'll be back on his feet again soon; he always gets back up and starts fighting again.

He may only have a single eye left, but it still provides him with perfect vision, minus depth perception. This superior sense of sight catches the smile across Red's face; his powerful ears detect a distinct lack of thumping from his heart. "Your heart has actually stopped… Well, that's unexpected"

Despite these lazy words, he does nothing but watch. He knows the Beast will take matters into its own hands soon, it will take control and heal his broken body, not enough to restore his strength, just enough to save him from Death's talons.

Several minutes pass, several minutes of unnatural silence, sure enough the sounds of the war wagging on around the city around them are still going strong, but to Eis there is nothing but an empty void of silence. Nothing has come from Red's body, no darkness, no hue, no Black Fire, nothing. He's just lying there, unable to move, unable to die.

"This makes no sense, why aren't you dead yet?" He thought with a panicked tone. "How can your soul remain linked to your body when your heart has stopped beating?!"

Despite being trapped in his own lonely world, Red's still aware enough of himself to know he is still alive. "Why? Why am I still alive? I can't breathe and my heart's stopped, so why can't I die? I WANNA DIE! WHY CAN'T I JUST DIE?!" He thought silently, unable to make a sound of movement. "Am I not meant to be free? Am I meant to suffer my entire life? Am I just Mew and Arceus' idea of a cruel joke?… Am I meant to be nothing but a shell, that can do nothing but suffer an eternity of agony?"

"Please… Please Yveltal, take me away. End my miserable excuse for a life… I want to die"

" _You want to die?"_ A soft, gentle, feminine voice called out to him, answering his silent pleas for death. _"Red you're not goanna die today, you can't, you must live"_

His lonely world is finally broken by the voice of Mew, his Master and friend. She has heard his desperate pleas and linked their minds together, allowing her to speak to him directly and answer his cries.

"Mew… I have nothing left to give. I've given everything I have, more than I thought I ever would when I first answered your call… I tried so hard… Can't I have a rest now? Can't I _finally_ be free?" He managed to respond, through their linked minds.

Before he's even able to end his part of the conversation, she snaps back at him with the furry of a woman scorned. _"YOUNG MAN SHUT YOUR MOUTH! YOU DON'T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT! YOU ARE_ _ **MY**_ _APPRENTICE AND WILL SHOW ME PROPER RESPECT, OR YOU'LL BE OUT ON YOUR EAR! NOW GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP AND FIGHT! IF YOU DON'T I'LL COME OVER THERE AND GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO MOPE ABOUT!_ _ **YOU HEAR ME?!**_ _"_

Silence. Silence is her only response from the man who left his entire world behind to come to her, having chosen to simply accept his death, he sees no reason to answer.

Sensing the defeat in him, Mew sighs heavily in frustration. Her voice softens, returning to her soft motherly tones once again. _"Red, listen to me… You can't afford to just roll over and die, not now. There's more resting on your shoulders than just your own life. As there has been ever since you were a child"_

His response is instantaneous, forged without thought. "What? What do you mean?"

His answer comes in the form of a new voice calling out to him; he hears the sound of a sweet, high pitched, excitable voice speaking in his head. _"Big Brother you have to get up! You have to! You're not allowed to die! If you die then I'm goanna kill you!… I need you Big Brother, you've always been there for me before, you won't let me down now… Will you?"_

Before she even finishes her first word, he recognises the voice as his baby sister Nibbler, whom he saved as a new born, so many years ago.

Another voice joins the group conversation, this one is far stronger than that of either Nibbler or Mew, it undoubtedly belongs to a guy. _"Dude you gotta get ya ass up, if ya stay down fer too long Charizard'll never let you hear the end of it. Come on bro, we both know you're not a weakling; you're the toughest bastard I know. Come on, if ya stay down fer too long people'll start calling you weak, we both know what happens when someone calls yo ass weak. Get ya ass up and send Eis back ta Hell… Ah fuck it, just use the Burst, just this once… You won't have ta clean up the mess after so what's stoppin' ya?"_

Like the ones that came before it, he recognises this voice as well. His friend Zaru's also trying to get him fighting again.

Yet another soul joins the fight to get him up again, this one's voice belongs to a woman, but one who is very strong. _"YOUNG MAN WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?! GET YOUR BACKSIDE UP AND DESTROY HIM SO YOU CAN COME HOME! AND DON'T EVEN_ _ **THINK**_ _ABOUT DYING BEFORE YOU GET BACK HERE, BECAUSE I AM GOING TO KILL YOU WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU MR! I AM GOING TO_ _ **SKIN YOU ALIVE!**_ _"_

Maw Maw always gets angry with him whenever he leaves without saying goodbye first, always gives him some kind of death threat or another, although skinning him alive is a new one. "I'll have to avoid her when I get back… Wait, am I goanna get back?" He thought.

A fifth voice calls out to him, one far younger than any of the other voices he's heard so far. It belongs to a child, one scarcely old enough to leave the nest to play, let alone fend for itself. _"You're goanna come back… Right Red? You're coming back right? You always come back… We need you Red; it's lonely without you, Charizard and Blade to play with us. Maw Maw's going nuts; she's tearing her hair out and calling you all kinds of bad names, please come back so she'll be happy again… I miss you all… You can do anything, I know you can, you just need to keep trying and you'll be able to do it. Remember what you taught me… Never surrender"_

If he could move a single muscle right now, he'd pull his face into a smile. Cobalt's innocence allows him to believe even the most obvious of all fairy tales, even allowing him to believe that his brother Red is immortal and can do magical things. "Cobalt… I can't do _anything_ , I'm only human. And I'm so tired… So very tired. I need to rest, I'm sorry, but I'm done now… Be good for Maw Maw and Chrono for me"

One more voice joins the conversation, but this voice is one he was never expecting, one far older than the overs he's heard. _"Red, if you can hear me my son, you need to breathe again. Just take a breath and start your heart up again. Lily hasn't given up yet; even now she's fighting her way through them all to reach you, desperate to help. Charizard has been beaten into the dust, and yet he still refuses to surrender. Blade's fighting as hard as he can to protect us all, he's giving everything he has and more… We're all fighting to defend our home, but we need you to help us. You are the only one who can end this nightmare, you have the power Red, I feel it inside you, even now… You just need to let it all go, you are your Grandfather's son, he never once surrendered and neither will you. He could transform, his fire never once extinguished, it may have flickered from time to time, but he never once let it go out… You have his fire, I can see it in your eyes, you just need to let it burn. Now be strong, be brave and start your heart up again… Please Red, prove to me that those years you were separated from us weren't in vain, make me proud and show us all your deepest powers. But most of all, NEVER surrender"_

"G-Grampa? How're you talking to me like this?… It's finally happened, I've lost my tiny mind" He thought with a definitive tone.

The voice of his sister once again blesses his mind, reminding him why he left home in the first place. _"Please Big Brother, please get up again… There's lots of things you've never done in your life. You've never had a bath, you've never once failed to protect me, to protect our family, and you've never just laid down and died… Don't start now"_

If he still had the ability to, he'd cry right now. The sound of his baby sister's desperate pleas stone the rock in his chest, he never was able to deny her anything, or even scold her properly… So how can he start now?

Mew's voice once again graces his mind, bringing with her a warming sensation across his head, as though she's petting him gently, to comfort him in his moment of pain. _"Now do you see Red? You're not fighting for your own survival anymore, you haven't been since the day you came to the forest, you're fighting for us all. You're fighting for those who depend on and love you; you're fighting for your family. If you won't fight to save yourself, then fight for us"_

The warming sensation across his head focuses onto his forehead, filling him with the pleasant sensation that comes from a mother's tender kiss. _"Remember Red, there's always something to fight for. No matter what, you find something to get up and fight for… You find something you're willing to die for. We'll be waiting for you, when you come back to us… We want to meet the rest of your family"_

With those words of encouragement, the voices leave his mind, and yet he can still feel them all, they're all with him, lending him their strength. He can feel their hearts beating inside his chest, encouraging his own to join them in a symphony of thumping. "You're right, all of you, I can't die now…" His eyes force themselves to bolt open, revealing his burning blood red orbs. "I WON'T!"

The familiar sensation of his beating heart returns to him, free from the previous pain that had it swallowed. His lungs force down an involuntary breath, followed by more in rapid succession, desperate to take in as much life giving oxygen as they possibly can. "I'm alive, and as long as my heart is beating I will fight. When I die again, it won't be by _your_ hand Eis"

A tiny spark of Aura reignites inside his heart, relighting the fire that is his burning passion. This spark of strength gives him the energy he needs to keep his heart beating again, this time he won't let it stop, no matter what.

The tiny flame burns brighter, giving him the power he needs to move his aching body once again. His senses return to him once again, banishing his lonely world of darkness forever, there's no way he'll let himself go back there ever again.

His shaking hands struggle to find solid ground again; he must find the cold steel so he can push himself up. He may be alive and kicking again, but he's still tired, very tired. He'll need time to recover his full strength, but he has enough for now and that's what matters.

"I can't give up, I won't!" He mentally growled, as his hands find the cold steel they seek. "I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! I'll stand and fight forever!" His teeth grind in his mouth, as he struggles to push himself off the ground.

"My fate doesn't matter anymore, all that matters is that my family is safe. That means this nightmare must end, no matter the cost. I'm not fighting for myself, not anymore; I'm not fighting for survival, not for revenge… I'm fighting so they can see the sun again, Lily, Grampa, Mom… Serena… All of you deserve to see the sun again, and I swear on my blood I will make this end, one way or another" His eyes lock onto the blood soaked ground, sending a wave of determination down his spine. "Even if I have to destroy this entire city to do it, I won't let you all down. NOT AGAIN!"

His noble attempts to resume the fight with Eis are quickly destroyed by said Fear Master's foot, slamming itself down onto his right temple. Pain returns to his short list of sensations, grinding his attempts to stand to a halt. With so little power left in his body, he's left weak and vulnerable, Eis' foot threatens to crush his skull inside his flesh.

The foot of the Master of Ice grinds of its own accord, while its owner's attention is firmly fixed on his growing frustration. "It seems my frustrations are reaching new heights today. The Beast had a chance to possess him there, so why didn't it do it? Maybe it couldn't, yes that has to be it, I drained the Boy's body so badly that the Beast couldn't take control without killing him, something that must be avoided right now"

A cold grin breaks out across his face, all he needs to do is restore Red's strength, but also weaken his resistance enough to allow the Beast to take control over him. "Simple enough, I'll just trigger the transformation" He thought with pride.

But there's a problem, the Beast is blocking the effects of the Mark. That means he cannot use the power he infused into it, to force Red's deepest powers out to the surface. He cannot force the transformation again. "Your pride is too strong Beast, without my help you will never be free… This time though, I might be able to help regardless of whether or not you want me to or not. Knights are able to trigger the transformation with a powerful emotion, I simply need to force that emotion to reach its breaking point, and he will transform" He thought again.

"However, I can't afford to waste time by relying on my suspicions alone, I must be certain his rage will send him over the edge" As this venomous thought formed in his mind, his foot ground itself into Red's soft head harder.

He clamps his trio of elongated toes down across Red's face, filling his prey with disgust and the urge to vomit. "Why won't you transform Boy? Why are you resisting me so much? You know as well as I do, how good the power feels when it flows through you… You must miss it, your true form. Tell me, how does it feel to burn from the inside out?"

Silence is his response, the Knight of Fire is all too aware of how limited his strength is right now, he can't afford to waste it by talking to Eis.

The Master of Ice lifts his clamp like foot from the head of his victim, allowing him to take a few steps backwards. He'll need a little room for this minor change to his master plan. His hand rises towards the smoke covered Barrier above.

The frozen duo of Glalie and Froslass watch him with expectant looks across their faces, waiting for the moment where Red finally breaks. From behind the safety of the structure, baby Chomp the Gible finally turns his gaze from his mother, to the one who saved him. He can see he's hurt, or maybe just tired, either way he doesn't like it.

A black hue radiates from Eis' risen hand, calling out to the Barrier above. "ALAKAZAM! I SUMMON YOU NOW!" He called out to the sky above.

No sooner than he said it, than a river of smoke floods from the skull of above them, flowing from its open jaws. The darkness flowing from the symbol of the Paladins lands softly on the steel, behind Red. The smoke forms together, to form the shape of Alakazam.

The body of the Psychic type vaguely resembles that of an old man, humanoid in shape with a long, thin snout and a pair of spikes for ears. His cold eyes reflect a buzzing beehive of thought, as well as a powerful mind. His body is thin and skeletal, little to no muscle mass is present across his frame, he has no need for it, when his species has one of the most powerful minds there is. Brown armoured plates cover his chest, shoulders, forearms and knee caps. He has only three digits across his hands and feet, along with a huge drooping moustache. It his hands, he holds a pair of sterling steel spoons.

Across the face of the powerful Pokémon, resides a trio of deep gouge scars. Starting in the upper right corner, close to his ear and ending at the start of the left half of his moustache. These scars seem to be old, but deep enough to remain, perhaps they will never heal.

Both the Psychic Pokémon and his Master lock their eyes onto each other's, staring straight over Red, as though he is nothing but furniture.

The frozen duo narrow their eyes in fiendish delight upon seeing him form before them, their old friend has finally returned to their side. Chomp can no longer ignore his mother's cries of pain, along with her snarls of rage, his gaze finally returns to the battle below.

Without breaking the eye contact with his Master, Alakazam's legs rise from the steel to cross themselves and allow him to float two feet of the ground. _"What is your wish Master? Name it and it will be done"_ His lipless snout doesn't move so much as an inch, his voice is carried by his mental strength. Telepathy.

Eis' arms cross themselves tightly, sending an Aura of dominion and control across his frame. "Invade his mind; find everything you can about the Burst. I must know his trigger" He demanded coldly.

The digits that hold the steel spoons in Alakazam's hands uncoil themselves, allowing the spoons to float around him, circling slowly. His hands press against each other, as though he is praying or deep in thought. His eyes shut themselves, to block out external distractions. _"As you wish Master"_

Instantly his mental powers attack the Warrior's mind, forcing their way into his head like a power drill. The weakened Knight tries hard to resist this mental attack, but with so little strength left, he can't stand up to the superior mental prowess of Alakazam.

Unable to do anything but lie on the ground and rest, the Psychic Pokémon explores his mind, rummaging through it as though it's a chest of treasure, just waiting to be taken.

After a moment of exploring, Alakazam leaves his mind and opens his eyes. _"Master, he has no memory of the Burst. He knows what the Burst is, but he has no memory of ever transforming, let alone what his trigger is"_ His eyes slowly roll down towards the Warrior of Fire, the sight of those cold eyes sends fear flooding through Red's body, but he doesn't know why.

He's never met this Pokémon before, so why is he so afraid of him?

" _He doesn't even remember what we did to him, all those years ago. He knows you killed him, but he has no memory of dying or how he died"_ Alakazam finished, with a predatory tone of voice.

Eis' smirk is knocked clean off his face, replaced by a genuine look of shock. The lack of knowledge regarding the Burst isn't unexpected, based on what he has seen of his transformation, it was the most likely explanation. But the fact that he doesn't remember how they met is very surprising, he holds a burning hatred for him, despite not knowing exactly what he did to him.

Fear has Red paralysed, to the point where he doesn't even hear Alakazam's statement. Why is he so afraid of him? He's never even met him before, how can he fear him?

His terror of the Psychic Pokémon reaches the next stage of its development, causing his body to break out in an uncontrolled bout of trembling. It's his eyes, those horrible empty eyes, when he looks into them, he feels like a scared eight year old child again. He shuts his eyes tightly, in the hopes it will abate his fear.

Alakazam won't allow this though, instead of forcing his eyes open, he simply places an image of himself inside his mind. Now he cannot escape the terror of his past.

" _He has repressed the memories, deep down inside his mind, locked them away from both the world and himself. I could easily force these memories to the surface once again, but it would come with a high risk. The process of forcing such well-hidden memories to the surface would likely destroy his mind, the strain of that would also likely force him into cardiac arrest. Combined, these effects would likely result in his premature death… Again. I will do it if you wish it, but I wouldn't advise it, as our Master wants the Beast alive"_

The sadistic grin of Eis returns, broader than it was before. "That won't be necessary Alakazam. Tell me, is there no way for him to remember?"

Alakazam's unblinking eyes remain fixed on the trembling man at his Master's feet. _"It is possible for these memories to return to him, but only under the right circumstances. He must return to the sight of the events and synch his Aura with the residual Aura that was left behind. In doing so, he will be able to tap into what he has repressed. But he must WANT to see it all again, he must want to relive the horror of what we did to him"_

Red's eyes hesitantly flicker open; he heard the words this time. He is greeted by the blank stare of Alakazam, he forces his eyes shut again, as he whimpers like a child on the half frozen steel.

Alakazam bows his head to his Master, before returning his attention to Red. _"I am surprised by you Red; I thought you would have been killed years ago. You were always so weak, how the Beast hasn't killed you yet is beyond even my superior intellect. You haven't changed at all; you're still a snivelling child, whimpering at my feat… Tell your lizard that I will repay the gift he gave me"_ His spoons revolve around to his face and point to the scars as he speaks. _"I will return the favour"_

His duty done, the Psychic Pokémon returns to his smoky form and returns to whence he came.

The whimpering Red watches as the source of his petrification leaves his sight; with it gone his fear vanishes, leaving him in a state of shame filled confusion. He doesn't have time to question himself though, as the cackling of Eis bombards his sense of hearing.

"You are pathetic Boy! You are a joke, the joke of the Knights. You are one of the few who has the ability to tap into the deepest depths of Aura, but you don't even know how you do it… I can't believe how ironic that is" He said with a sadistic grin across his face.

If Red could do anything but glare up at his captor, he'd be telling him to rip his own heart out and do the world a favour. In place of speaking, he tries to send his Aura out to do it for him. "Unhinge your jaw and finish me off, you ice cold Seviper wanna be" His thoughts are unable to leave his mind though.

The Master of Ice drops his arms, but allows one to hold his chin. He circles his prey, like a hungry Sharpedo circles a helpless Magikarp. "I've heard of something like this before, if your kind can't control the Burst, then it'll control them. If this is the case, then each transformation _feels_ like the first time" He thought aloud. "If this is your case, then the overwhelming power flowing through you would wipe your mind when it leaves you, taking away all your memories of the transformation… That means you can't trigger it yourself, and have to rediscover how to do it each time you need to transform"

He finally stops his circling, standing before his head. His hand drops from his face, to meet with his other hand before his chest. "I'll have to find your trigger for you; we'll have to experiment to find it. We'll have to find what forces our power out to the surface and pushes you over the edge"

He crouches down, allowing him to loom his head over Red's face, close enough for the Warrior to smell the stench of his breath. "I do hope you'll enjoy it as much as I will" He said sarcastically.

The young Knight Apprentice can only lie on the ground, unable to do anything but listen to him and endure the stench of his breath. The only power he has left is being used to keep him alive, he has nothing to spare that can be used to fight back with. He'll need time, time to recover his strength. "Why does it seem like I'm spending this entire battle waiting for more power?"

The horrible feeling of Eis' talon running down his cheek sparks a fire of rage inside him. The one running his talon down his flesh grins sadistically once more, taking the first step to completing his new plan. "Do you think you're special? Do you think you're the only one who has ever been… Afflicted, by a creature like the Beast?"

Red's interest in what he has to say spikes, sparking the rage to grow stronger. "The fuck're you talkin' about?" He thought, stronger than before.

The talon running across his face lifts itself away, before stabbing into his cheek again harder, hard enough to break the skin. "You're not the first, nor shall you be the last. What has happened to you has happened since the birth of humanity… Creatures like the Beast have been plaguing the Knights ever since my Master… Well, the rest you know"

Red's eyes abandon the disgusting face of Eis, in favour of the blood soaked steel around them both. "Am… Am I really not the only one? There're others?" He asked himself silently.

The tantalising, life giving, crimson fluid drips down his face, tempting Eis to remove it from his body and drink it down. He resists this temptation; he can't afford to break his rage with disgust. "You are undoubtedly the only one who is still alive, as well as the first to appear for a very long time. It's been hundreds of years since the world was last blessed by a creature like the Beast… I've lived a long time, longer than any other human has ever dreamed of, and I met the last one… I killed her and took her power for my own, but that was such a long time ago and I don't feel like giving you a history lesson"

The feeling of his blood dripping down his cheek is of little consequence to him now; his mind is focused on only one thing now. "How fucking old are you Eis? Hundreds? How old's that? How the fuck do you know all this shit, why are you telling me this bullshit?"

"You should have asked her Boy…" Eis' cold tone forces the thoughts from Red's mind, calling his eye to meet his own. "You should have asked your precious Mew about the Beast, throughout history it has never, _never_ ended well… And it won't end well this time either. You should have asked her about it when you had the chance, now you'll never know… After all, she's always known exactly what it is and how you can be free of it… She's been lying to you for years, _Boy_ "

The cold, harsh words that pass through the lips of the Fear Master fuel the fire inside Red's heart, his anger returns to him, bubbling up inside the pit of his stomach. The rage brings new strength with it to replace a fraction of what was stolen from him by the chains. "W-what?" He whispered.

* * *

The blonde haired beauty of the Ketchum family rematerializes in the tower courtyard, her armour and robes are stained with the blood of her fallen foes. The blade at the end of her staff drips with the crimson glory of Paladin blood.

Her emerald green eyes ravage the carnage that has been unleashed upon this once beautiful place, there's blood everywhere, some of it has been spilt from the bodies of Paladins, a bit of it is from Pokémon, but most of it belongs to innocent people.

She quickly spots her brother's first Pokémon, Charizard, lying in the remains of a destroyed building, covered in wounds and his own blood. Blaziken stands in the midst of the battlefield, large chunks of his feathers have been torn out by Garchomp's claws, instead of exposed flesh all that can be seen are patches of blood. He's panting heavily and clearly exhausted, just how long has he been fighting for?

She quickly spots Garchomp, standing opposite him; she looks as though she hasn't taken a single hit yet. "How the fuck is that possible?!"

Through his fatigue, Blaziken's able to pull a smirk. _"Well I be darned, yawl were right Charizard. She be tougher ta take down than Lily, when she on 'er monthly"_

The normally pale cheeks of Lilian Ketchum flood with blood, causing a full faced, beetroot red blush to break out. The humiliation of her monthly cycle being compared to a dragoness is worse than when Delia caught her giving her ex a blow job. "HEY! I TOLD YOU TO STOP COMPARING ME LIKE THAT!" She screamed with a nervous tone.

The Fighting/Fire type looks over his shoulder, to see the embarrassed face of his beloved trainer. _"Didn't ya Mama never tell you it be rude ta eavesdrop?"_ He said with a smart tone.

With a roll of her eyes and a shrug of her shoulders, the blush vanishes from her face. "Yeah of course she did, but I wasn't listening. Now shut up and help me take this bitch down"

Before Blaziken is able to respond with another smart remark, Garchomp creates a Sandstorm between her claws. The swirling torrent of sand is filled with Ground energy, and will surly hurt everything that hasn't got Ground, Rock or Steel traits.

"Blaziken! Leap into the air and use Fire Spin as a shield!" She commanded, with a thrust of her free fist. His response is instantaneous; his powerful legs kick off the cracked ground and propel him a good ten feet into the air. From his crimson beak, spinning flames flow freely. Twisting his body into a spin, he surrounds himself completely in the Fire Spin.

Garchomp thrusts her claws forwards, sending the barrage of sand directly into her opponent. The Ground attack destroys his shield of fire, but leaves him completely untouched by its buffing force. "Now hit her back with a Blaze Kick!" Without a moment's hesitation, Blaziken pulls his leg back and sets his foot aflame.

The memory of her burning face is still fresh in Garchomp's mind. She expels a strong Dragon Breath, the green flames climb through the air to meet the blazing foot of the giant red fighting chicken.

His Blaze Kick ploughs through the Dragon Breath, to meet its source, his foot slams into her jaw. "Don't let her recover! Dynamic Punch into Mega Kick!"

His glowing white fist crashes into Garchomp's diaphragm, forcing all air from her lungs and leaving her exposed for his follow up attack. "END THIS NOW!" Planting one foot on the cracked earth, he channels all his strength into a single, powerful strike directly into her face.

The blow knocks her through the air, to land in one of the craters that was formed when she fought Charizard, with her eyes clamped firmly shut.

The Fire starter of Hoenn jumps back to the side of his trainer, panting heavily as his fatigue catches up with him once again. Sweat drips down his matted feathers, as he struggles for breath.

With a proud grin across her face, Lily slumps her blood covered staff over her shoulder. "She's down and out" Pride not only dominates her face, but also her voice. Noticing the fatigue that has claimed her partner, she begins the healing process by bathing him in rose pink light.

As she repairs his wounds and removes the blood and bodily fluids from his feathers, he shuts his eyes and lowers his head in shame. _"That little lady won't be down fer long, yawl need ta get Charizard back on his feet again"_

Within seconds he's back to full strength and looking as fresh as he was before this battle began. Just in time for Garchomp to recover from her own injuries, and snarl at both her challengers, who are still conscious and alive. _"Let's fix that, I like my KFC extra crispy"_ She snarled. _"Time to die"_

The snarls are completely inaudible to the ears of Lily, but the 'KFC' in question understood her perfectly. A nervous sweatdrop runs down the face of the Knight, as her face grows paler than normal. "This _might_ be a problem… She got back up"

The eyes of Blaziken bolt open, as the flames around his wrists reignite, stronger than ever. _"I'll by yawl some time, but you gots to get the fat ass back on his feet again, then yawl brother could use some help givin' Eis a good ol' fashioned ass whooin'. He obviously ain't gots the balls ta put him in the dirt on his own"_ He growled angrily.

His words are interrupted by the Dragon/Ground type's fangs digging into his arm, in a devastating Crunch. _"Oh yawl 'bout ta pay fer that BITCH!"_

While the two of them recommence their battle, Lily turns her attention towards her brother's partner. She sprints to his side, moving as fast as she can. She needs to get him back up and fighting again, Blaziken can't beat Garchomp on his own, hopefully the two of them fighting together will be enough.

The eye of said dragon opens, signifying his return to the realm of the conscious, just in time to be greeted by his brother's howls of agony. The howls of pain drown out the carnage of battle throughout the city, allowing all ears to hear his suffering.

" _I… I'm comin' Boss"_ Charizard weakly growled. _"I won't let you face that fucker alone"_

He tries to lift his head again, but the pain surging through him outweighs his determination, forcing his head to remain on the ground. Instead of having the strength to fight for those he cares about, all he has left is pain; his every bone feels as though it's been ground into dust.

Through his Connection with Red, he can feel his flesh being split apart. His back feels as though it's being ripped apart, his flesh being ripped from his spine and ribs while he lies helpless on the cold floor. His every fibre screeching for an end to the agony.

A tear forms in his one remaining eye, threatening to fall across his scaly hide. His brother is suffering, at Eis' hand, _again_. Last time he was too weak to do anything to stop it, he was just a kid himself, how could a kid stop an animal like Eis?

Now he's no kid though, he's a man, a grown man. But still nothing has changed; he's still too weak to help him, too weak to protect him from something no one should ever endure.

He can feel it; he can feel his brother calling out to him through their bond, pleading for some sort of help… Oh god he's getting delusional, Red's never once asked him for help, he's only ever heard him asked for help once in ten years and that was when he was a kid… A vulnerable child, who had just gone through one of the worst experiences someone could go through, he'd been possessed. Sure there're worse things out there, but for a kid there isn't much that's worse.

" _Boss… Listen to me, listen carefully. Do it. Get angry, let your anger flow through your soul, then ignite your fire and transform. You can't beat him without the power of the Burst, I'll clean up the mess, just do it and send him back to Hell where he belongs"_ He growled inside his mind, trying to send some sort of message to Red through their bond.

A warm sensation flows across his body, taking his pain away and restoring his strength. Someone's healing him. _"Hell no"_ He snarled angrily.

Lily kneels at his side, holding her blood soaked hands over his body and sending waves of rose pink light across his muscular, overweight frame. An angry snarl hits her ears, along with the sound of claws grinding against stone. He looks _very_ pissed.

Taking this as a sign that he doesn't want her to heal him, she abandons her attempt at help. From what she's seen of him, Charizard's just as proud as Red, accepting help must be hard for him. At the very least it's making him angry, that much is clear and an angry dragon is _never_ a good thing.

"You're just as proud as our brother, aren't you?" She asked to try and calm him.

While he can't see her, as she's on his blind side, he knows she's afraid, he can both smell and hear it. It's a strange thing to hear; 'our brother', only a few have ever said that about him and Red… It's something he never thought he'd hear her say. He picks his head up, using the small amount of restored strength he's been given and nods. Knowing she can't understand him, to respond verbally would be pointless.

Sensing that his anger is quelling, she timidly pats his back. He offers no resistance or signs of not wanting her to do it, so she carries on. "I understand you want to help him Charizard, I can hear him too… He's in pain. But you're in no state to fight right now, if you won't let me heal you, you need to at least rest" Pain can be clearly heard in her voice, the loss of both Willey and Greninja is still fresh in her mind, as is the pain her brother is suffering right now.

Ignoring her statement about needing to rest, Charizard tries to stand again. His claws rake across the stone, trying to get a grip across its surface that will let him claw himself to his feet. Finding no help in the rockery beneath him, he tries to lift his head instead. He's unable to lift it off the ground more than a few inches, before the pain forces him back down again. _"You mother fucker Charizard, if you don't get your fat ass up right now, I'll tear your wings off and shove 'em down your throat!"_ He grumbled to himself.

As he tries to get up once again, Lily stands back up and explores the area with her Aura Vision. Besides the standard blood, gore, severed limbs and carcasses, there's nothing in the immediate area worth her attention. She extends her sight to the tower, climbing her way up to its top.

The sight she is greeted by freezes both the breath in her lungs and the blood in her veins. Her eyes shrink, as her focus shifts to Eis, standing over Red with a blood soaked whip in his hand.

A single tear falls from her glowing hot pink eyes, there's so much blood, so much… "I-I-I-I'v-ve… I've a-already l-l-lost Greninja and Willey… You… You can't take Red away from, not again" More tears drop from her eyes as these words fall from her lips.

Gravity tugs her head down, but is unable to force anything else from her. Like a mountain, she refuses to yield to gravities tug. As her tears fall freely from her eyes, her power begins to swell inside of her, crackles of rose pink light run across her hourglass figure. These surges of power leap from her body, slamming into everything around her, reducing whatever they strike to tiny chunks no bigger than a pebble.

As the crackles collide with Charizard, they restore a tiny fragment of his strength. They feel like her hands, passing over his battered body and pulling him into a gentle hug. To most this would be a comfort, but to him this is an insult. He's no child that needs to be coddled; he's an Alpha male, stronger than all in the forest… Well except a couple, Mew being one of them and…

His thoughts are interrupted by the ear splitting screech of the woman standing beside him. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME! **NOT AGAIN!** " She screamed towards the tower top.

In response to her screech of pain, her hair rises from her pony tail and splits apart to form five points, each flowing as though it's lying across the surface of a rippling pond. Starting at her roots, her hair begins to turn rose pink.

Her staff is swallowed by pink light, as it returns to the depths of her Aura. She has no need for a weapon now the transformation has begun, her next attack require both her hands, not a weapon.

Her hair erupts into a full rose pink shine, as it gains a metallic sheen. Hot pink light bursts out across her entire body, allowing her to glow like a lantern in a dark room. Her muscles build slightly, as her flesh grows sturdier and more durable. As her tender frame tightens and grows, her robes are pulled tighter against her skin, threatening to rip apart at any moment.

Her armour dissolves away across her body, but is quickly replaced by a new set, one that looks to be stronger as well as lighter. Her robes loosen slightly, while they hug her figure well, they will no long tear apart if she moves too fast.

As her power reaches its maximum, a powerful wave of hot pink light bursts out from her body. This shockwave sends nearby debris flying through the air, casts a ring of dust around her and even pushes Charizard across the ground a few inches.

She's almost transformed; just a little bit more and she'll be at her maximum power. Her tears continue to flow freely from her glowing eyes, but instead of falling to the risen dust, they rise into the air from the corners of her eyes. They sparkle as the light catches their surface.

In an explosion of blinding hot pink light, all eyes in the area turn to face her, abandoning whatever they're doing to stare at the shinning humanoid figure before them. They all stare at her, trembling in awe of her, even the possessed Garchomp abandons her attack to gasp at the sight before her.

Every single one of them can feel the power flowing through her, it rivals even Charizard's raw strength and yet she has it perfectly controlled. She's all but unstoppable now.

As the shining light dies, her transformed body is revealed. Her hands are coiled tightly into fists; her tears continue to rise from her eyes, which are glowing brighter than ever. She looks like a fallen angel, minus the wings and halo they're often depicted with.

As her lingering tears are lifted from her eyes, they take her pain away with them. She refuses to let Eis take her brother away from her, she's already had to lose him once and the pain was worse than anything she ever thought imaginable. She lost her twin brother, the one soul she'd been with since birth, the only one she was _never_ separated from for more than a couple hours in their lives, but now she has him back again… There's no way in Hell she's ever going to let anyone take him away from her, ever again. "Granddad wasn't the only one of us who could transform Eis, the Burst runs in our blood, we can _all_ transform" She mumbled to herself.

* * *

While the war rages on around them all, those who have found shelter in the park have abandoned Lucario in favour of finding shelter. Meyer and Ampharos never reached the safety of this sanctuary, they fell long before they could lay eyes on either Bonnie or Clemont again… Leaving the golden haired ones alone in this world.

Lucario's aging body is running low on strength; his breathing has become heavy and laboured, as sweat runs down his fur. Delia is trying her best to support his weight, as is the ever kind Serena, but it's making little difference to his energy levels.

The golden haired ones are ignorant of their father's death, there's simply no way for them to know right now. Their interest remains enthralled by the Orbs in his paws, in the war their new friends are fighting and dying to win.

None of them can believe what's going on around them; the blood has been stolen from their bodies, leaving them as pale as ghosts. The sight of Red being beaten down by the evil Eis, along with the sound of the whip cracking and splitting his flesh apart, is too much for some of them to handle.

Serena's eyes shimmer with tears, the same tears that have been dripping down her cheeks for what feels like eternity. She can't stand this, can't stand to see Red like this. The proud, strong man that she cares so deeply for is being tortured before her eyes, for what seems like to real reason… Find his trigger? What does that mean?

The shame of everyone here knowing she was almost rapped is horrendous, but at least she managed to get them to hold off asking questions until this ordeal ends. But even this shame pales in comparison to the pain in her heart, seeing him suffer like this is killing her, yet she cannot turn away. Watching somehow makes her feel like she's able to do _something_. She still has his sword in her hand, maybe there's a way for her to give it back to him.

Delia's eyes may be fixed on the Orbs, but she can barely see them through her tears. If she hadn't locked her knees in place earlier, she wouldn't be standing right now. The sight of seeing _both_ her children fighting and dying has all but killed her. If it wasn't for Willey's noble sacrifice, she'd have lost her only daughter. She had someone who cared about her enough to sacrifice himself for her, but Red's alone. He's dying, all alone, in agonising pain… No one's there to save him, what'll happen to him? What does Eis want with her baby boy?

Lucario's entire body aches with fatigue, he's too old to maintain Aura Vision for this long, but he refuses to give in. He saw how much Red was suffering earlier, he'd never tell the rest of them, but he felt his heart stop for a few minutes there… He doesn't know if he heard him, but he tried to call out to him, to get him fighting again. It's all he can do now… Sit on the side-lines and watch his family die. If only he could Mega Evolve again, his full power would be returned to him, then he could help in this battle.

"Mr Lucario, is Red goanna be OK?" The sweet voice of Bonnie Citron asked, as she gently tugged on his fur.

Why? Why did she have to ask him a question like that? One that will undoubtedly be painful for him to say and for them to hear.

She is a child, an innocent child who knows nothing of the real world; the Knights prevent people like her from ever knowing the darkness of this world, the _real_ darkness. She is not to blame here and to ignore her would be to punish her for something that is not her fault.

With a heavy sigh, he responds to her without emotion. _"I don't know young one, he's very weak… He can barely breathe, but I've seen people in worse states not just recover, but come back stronger from it"_

"W-what about Lily? What's happening to her?" Clemont hesitantly asked, not truly sure if he wants to know the answer to this question.

The old man responds again, without any trace of emotion. Neither of these two know his grandchildren, they only met yesterday, how can they? But the fact remains that they're both still here, concerned for their one hope for survival. Regardless of their motives, it's more than any of the other survivors have done.

" _Physically she's fine. The changes in her body are due to the transformation she's undergoing, she has a power than most of our kind can only dream of. She has the Burst, I can only guess why she's waited until now to use it, perhaps she wanted to save it until she truly needed the power… Hopefully she'll be able to do something to help Red"_

Serena's tears continue to drip down her cheeks; each one carries a piece of a broken heart with it. "Is this nightmare ever going to end?" She muttered to herself, not even realising she said the words outside her mind.

" _All nightmares end Serena, you can only dream for so long… Sooner or later, you have to wake up"_ Finally his words carry emotion; they carry his pain, as well as his hope. Hope that this ordeal will end soon and that Eis will lie dead at Red's feet.

* * *

"I want to play a game"

These cruel words are hissed from the sadist known as Eis, as his lips curl into a grin that matches his black soul. In his hand, a bullwhip with three knots throughout it materialises. Its leather covered surface is stained with blood, the blood of those whom Eis has tortured over the years.

The sight of this weapon shrinks Red's eyes to the size of pin heads, sending terror through him once again. The same terror he felt when he saw that Alakazam again, why? Why does it have him so petrified that he couldn't move even if he had the strength to run a marathon?

"I want to see how much pain it'll take to make you cry like a bitch" Eis added, as he raised the handle of the whip higher.

Without a moment's hesitation, he swings the whip through the air, to lash across the exposed back of Redmud Ketchum. With a terror inducing crack, his robes are split apart, chunks of flesh are sent across the steel and blood stains his flesh crimson.

He can only rasp out a breath as he tries to scream in pain, the strength that allowed him to whisper just moments ago has just been lost. "If you want another Boy, all you have to do is say 'thank you sir, may I have another?'" Eis taunted, as he raised the whip again.

With a second strike, he splits his robes further and sends more blood soaked flesh across the steel. Red's jaws wrench open, as he involuntarily arches his back in pain. The pain has robbed him of the ability to speak, if it had not, he would have been able to make a squeak.

Eis cups his free hand behind his ear, to exaggerate the fact that he can't hear anything from his victim. "I'll tell you what Boy; I'll stop hurting you if you beg for mercy"

The eyes of the young Warrior shine blood red, as his anger burns brighter inside him. The flames of rage burn brighter inside of him, restoring enough of his strength to whisper again, if he chooses to. Despite this surge of energy, he refuses to make a sound. He'd rather die again than beg Eis for anything.

Dissatisfied with this lack of reaction, Eis swings the whip for a third time. The result is the same as it was before, blood soaked flesh is sent across the steel floor; his robes split even more and turn a darker shade of crimson. This time though, Red grinds his teeth and grunts in pain, he has the power to scream now, but refuses to give Eis the satisfaction.

Baffled by the lack of screaming from him, Eis examines his handiwork, ensuring he has been striking him correctly. There are three splits across his robes; they meet in places to create hanging flaps of crimson. His blood has stained not only his robes and flesh, but has also forced the two together. There are five distinctive holes in his flesh, where the knots have struck him. It seems that his aim was off and allowed him to escape the full bite of his whip four times.

The pain from the whipping is taking a heavy toll on him now; he's beginning to drift off into unconsciousness. With a heavy slam onto the back of his head, he is prevented from joining the unconscious world. Eis' foot grinds down onto his head once again, like before Red refuses to make a sound.

Despite the lack of verbal reassurance, Eis knows he's hurting him, he's hurting him badly. Pain will almost certainly spark furry within him, as it does with the rest of humanity. But this is not enough; he needs him to be swallowed by his furry. "You're no different than when you were a child… Too weak to protect those you love" He lifts his foot from his head, the heat from his flesh is unpleasant to a being of the cold such as himself. "Once you are broken, I'm going for that beauty you were protecting before… What was her name? Ah yes, Serena… She escaped my minion before, but she won't be saved from me. I'll draw out her powers the same as I did you, then I will strip her Aura from her soft, tender, _sexy_ flesh… I will enjoy the taste of her Aura"

The anger burning inside of Red ignites into a full-fledged inferno at the mention of his Apprentice. Strength floods through him, allowing him to briefly ignore the pain searing across his flesh. "I'm going to rip you apart Eis… Nothing's goanna hold me back" He rasped.

His pain returns tenfold, when Eis' foot slams down onto his spine and grinds against his flesh, tearing it apart. This time he cannot stop himself from screeching in agonising pain, the pain of his flesh being torn apart is too much for even him to deal with.

His howls drown out the sounds of the burning city, stabbing into the hearts of those who love him.

The Fear Master lifts his blood soaked foot away from the hot source of the offending fluid, to reunite with the cold steel. "How're you going to do that then Boy? You're at deaths door, you can barely breathe, just how are you going to kill me?… Do you even know how to kill me?"

Before he can get a response from him, his whip cracks for a fourth and final time. Yet another howl of agonising pain escapes his throat, carrying with it all traces of fear, there's no room for them anymore now his rage is taking over.

Eis intends to whip him again, but he finds his attention is firmly fixed upon a light. A rose pink light shining from the battlefield below has ensnared his senses and overpowered his better judgment. The whip in his hand turns to smoke, before being absorbed back into his Aura.

The only Knight atop this tower cannot see what Eis sees, but he can feel his sister's power growing stronger by the second. Her power quickly rises beyond anything he ever expected from her, and it keeps growing.

How? How can she possibly get this strong so quickly? Just a few minutes ago she wasn't even as strong as he is at his maximum, now she's exceeded that limitation and is still going strong. Then it hits him, his eyes widen and return to their natural electric blue, she's transforming.

She said yesterday she was a Psychic type, why didn't he think of this before? She transformed and gained the Psychic typing and she's doing it again now. If only he could remember how it feels to use the Burst, then maybe he could be certain that's what she's doing.

"Don't even think about it" He mumbled. "No one interferes with my fights. Don't do it Lily"

Like Red, Eis can feel her growing power, but unlike his tortured victim, he's not impressed. Even as he watches her transformation reach its completion, and feels her power reach its maximum, he remains unimpressed. While her power is indeed impressive for her age, it's still nowhere near enough to meet his, let alone exceed it.

"Oh look at that, she thinks she's strong" He mocked with a patronising tone.

For once Red has to agree with his enemy, Lily's nowhere near Eis' level of power now. She's not even half as strong as he is, if she fights him she'll be slaughtered. "Don't do it Lily, you're not strong enough. You'll only get yourself killed, think of Mom and Grampa; they don't want you to get hurt… I'd never forgive myself if I let you die" His fearful words will never reach her ears; they don't even hit Eis' sense of hearing.

* * *

Lily's hot pink eyes fill with Psychic energy, turning them into a brilliant shade of luminous blue. As her full Psychic powers are awakened with the transformation, a matching hue surrounds her entire body and lifts her up and off the ground. She rises twenty feet off the earth; her hatred filled gaze is fixed upon the tower top, where her newest enemy and brother reside.

She thrusts her open palmed hands high above her head, creating a beach ball sized Orb above them. "I can't afford to hold back here, I need to hit this bastard with everything I've got" She thought, as she poured as much power as she can spare into the Orb.

All eyes that can see her lock onto her glowing glory. Now she has taken to the skies, she truly looks like an angel, come to save them from the darkness and bring back the sun.

The Orb above her grows bigger and bigger, the light inside it changes from a pure white glow to a swirling mix of rose pink Aura. Her Orb has evolved into a new attack, her most powerful single blast attack. But it is not finished yet, she still has more power to put into it.

She concentrates her awakened mental powers into the attack; the luminous blue Psychic energy is added to the swirling torrent of Aura inside the ball above her. She tries hard to keep the power locked inside this Orb like structure; her will is all she can use to stop it from leaking out prematurely.

Her tears continue to rise from her eyes, rather than sparkle with her own glow though, they are dissolved before they even truly leave her face. Stray debris from the battlefield is sucked up into the ball, dissolved away upon the burning touch of pure Aura and Psychic energy.

As the final drops of her combined Aura and Psychic powers are enthused into the ball, hot pink electricity crackles across its surface, trying hard to leap out and attack the nearest soul that isn't its creator.

Eis' one remaining eye widens at the sight of her attack, he's seen it before and it's _very_ dangerous to use. "There's no way she'll hurl an attack like that at me, she'd destroy the entire tower and half the city block if she did… There's no way she'll endanger all these people, she's bluffing" He said with a confident grin across his face.

Her attack reaches its full size, two meters in diameter. Her common sense has given way to her blinding rage and overpowering pain of loss, Eis is right, this attack is too dangerous for a place like this, if she were thinking clearly she'd realise that.

Before she's able to hurl her completed attack, a beam of midnight blue Aura flies out from the crushed remains of the city, to add itself to the power stored within the attack. Her hatred filled glare is broken momentarily, to allow her to stare up at the ball above her hands. She can feel the Aura of another Knight surging through it; it seems to be clashing with her Psychic energy, like the two aren't compatible.

"What the fuck?! How can there be more power in here? I can't feel anymore Knights here besides Red and our Pokémon. Yeah Serena's an Apprentice now, but she can't even concentrate her Aura yet and her Aura is _aqua_ blue… Who the fuck gave me more power?"

These thoughts are quickly driven from her mind, as she remembers that Eis is torturing her brother. A dark grin forms across her face, as she realises that now she can destroy Eis. "EAT THIS! **SPIRIT BOMB!** " She screamed at the top of her lungs.

With an ear-splitting scream, she hurls her Spirit Bomb towards the tower top. As she hurls all her energy through the air, she drops back down to the earth with a heavy thud. A fall from this height would be enough to cripple or even kill any normal person, but Lily's not normal. If she were in her normal form, she'd walk away with cuts, bruises and maybe a broken bone, depending on how she landed.

But she's in her Burst form now, a fall from this height isn't even enough to scratch her face.

Even after pouring so much power into the Spirit Bomb, she still has enough energy left to fight some basic Paladin Grunts and maybe a Sentinel. She couldn't risk putting too much of her power into the attack, she'd leave herself vulnerable if she did that. No, she still has enough to keep herself safe, just not enough to maintain the Burst for much longer.

The Spirit Bomb sails through the air, drawing in a vortex of wind as it goes. Eis tilts his head curiously for a moment, surprised that she went through with it after all.

This look doesn't last long though; it's replaced by a dark grin after a few seconds. No fear can be found across his face, only crazed obsession for his victim. "You've clearly never faced a Fear Master before, girl"

The bomb gets closer and closer to them all, the Pokémon all stare at it with fear in their eyes, the attack may not kill them all, but it will certainly send them flying. The fall from the impending blast won't kill them, but the sudden stop when they reach the ground most likely will.

While they ponder their impeding deaths, Eis decides it's time to show her just how much stronger than her he really is. He thrusts his hand forwards, sending out his own Aura in the process. The Bomb's advance grinds to a halt, before it can reach its destination and detonate.

"THIS IS CHILD'S PLAY GIRL!" He cackled. He pulls the bomb in closer, without letting it touch the tower; he presses his hand against its surface.

She stands in the battlefield, petrified to point of paralysis. She put everything she had into that attack, someone else even contributed what must have been a good portion of their power as well and he fucking caught it! "How's that even possible?! That's raw Aura and Psychic energy! If he's touching it, it should be destroying him! HELL IT SHOULD HAVE EXPLOSDED BY NOW!" She screamed into the sky.

Black pulses flow out from the hand of Eis, draining the power stored within the Bomb and feeding off it. The Bomb begins to shrink as Eis drains everything that is stored within it. He licks his lips as he steals the final drops. "That was delicious… I want some more"

Young Lily drops to her knees, unable to comprehend how wrong she was. At the start of this battle Red told her she was no match for Eis and he couldn't have been more right, she's not even close to his level of power. "I'm… Totally outclassed in this battle. I have no place in this war"

Like his trainer, Blaziken's eyes tremble in his eye sockets. He's petrified beyond imagining, the level of power that Eis wields is far beyond anything he ever imagined. He knew he would be strong, maybe the strongest they've ever faced, but no one's ever survived one of Lily's Spirit Bombs, let alone _caught_ one.

He's so enthralled by his own fear, that he doesn't notice the Drago Claw heading straight for his face.

* * *

The cold and lifeless lips of the Master of Fear curl into a toothy grin; he strides to the edge of the tower and gazes down at his new challenger. Her exhaustion couldn't be more obvious, it's impressive that she's still holding the Burst. "You're endurance is certainly to be admired… But if that was your best, then you are as pathetic as the rest of your kind"

Red's anger boils in his veins; she had no right to interfere with this battle. Eis was focused on him and him alone, no one else needed to be involved. Now she's practically sentenced herself to death. He tries to push himself from the half frozen steel, but he can't do it, he just hasn't got enough energy left to do something like that yet.

Eis watches as Lily struggles to pull herself back to her feet again, his head shakes freely atop his neck. "Oh Lily, you were always so determined to prove your strength. Always so determined to prove you're stronger than… Than…" His voice trails off, as his eye widens in realisation. "Your brother"

That's when the truth hits him like a ton of bricks; he's had everything he needs to push Red over the edge all along. His head slowly turns to give him a view of Red, as expected, he's trying to push himself off the ground.

A ghost of a smile forms across his face, he remembers that Red's anger burns brightest whenever his loved ones are threatened. To push him over the edge, all he has to do is slaughter the ones he cares about and there're plenty of them here.

He turns back towards the exhausted Lily; he looks upon her with Aura Vision. To his astonishment there's still a large nugget of power inside her, standing out like a hunk of gold in the earth. "Your power was delicious; Master will certainly enjoy the flavour"

Finally, finally he has everything he needs to break Red Ketchum. After years of planning, years of trying, finally he will break the unbreakable Monster.

He shoots him a final death glare, looking him dead in the eye, before acting on his newest plan. "I was expecting more from you Boy. You were trained by the most powerful being on this world, trained to be the best of the best… But you fight your true nature. You fight to supress your own power. You're pathetic"

His venomous words stoke the burning fire of rage inside him, forcing thoughts of his sister's interference from his mind and giving birth to new thoughts of ripping Eis limb from limb.

"You are an animal Red, a killer, the closest thing I've ever seen to the perfect killing machine… Once you're set off anyway. You were born to be a Paladin of Fear … But you throw it all away and for what?! A pair of false gods and those who share your blood?"

The rage burning inside his heart begins to boil the blood in his veins, filling him with energy once again. This new found strength allows him to push himself off the floor, his arms tremble but push him up regardless. "You know nothing Eis. I'm not an animal…" He lifts his head to expose his burning blood red eyes. "I'm a Monster. A Monster that's goanna rip your heart out and feed it to Charizard"

The unscarred eyebrow of Eis rises up his face, surprised by the threat. Without saying a word in return, he abandons his discussion with Red and ponders his new plan. "It's working already; his Aura is swelling more and more with each passing second. It won't be long before he's pushed over the edge, then the Beast will do the rest"

He turns his attention to the battlefield; Blaziken and Garchomp have resumed their battle once again. Despite her seemingly endless well of power, he's holding up well and dealing some heavy damage. In the end it matters little, she's practically immortal now; he doesn't have the power to end her life.

The most vital aspect of his plan once again captures his field of vision, as soon as she is dead, Red will lose everything… "Enjoy your final moment's girl, you have mere minutes to live" He whispered.

His voice barely passes through his twisted lips, but carries far enough to reach the sensitive hearing of the Fire Warrior. Red fights through his pain, through his fatigue and through his better judgment to clench his hands into tight fists. A deep snarl breaks through his teeth, one that forces a smirk across Eis' lips.

"Even _think_ of touching her, harm a hair on her head and I will erase you from existence" He snarled, with more venom than a Drapion.

The eye of Eis tempts him to turn and take in his form one last time, before he proceeds with his plan. But he doesn't give into this base desire, in favour of a far more sadistic idea. His hand rises towards the Barrier once again, gaining a black hue in the movement. "Darkness… Kill her" He hissed with a demonic tone.

Once again his eye sockets leak black smoke, rising towards the sky. Two shots of smoke burst through the smoky hue of the Barrier of darkness, seeking out the final shreds of Lily's Aura. Moving faster than any of them can follow; the smoky shackles reach their target and wrap themselves around her wrists and forearms tightly. With a snap of his fingers, Eis turns the smoke to black chains.

The moment the smoke abandons the chains, their black as night metal pulls her limbs against her chest, binding her hands against her own flesh tightly, preventing her from summoning her only weapon. Now she is vulnerable, the third and final chain bursts through the smoke, already formed and thirsty for her impending screams of agony.

The final chain coils around her torso, as if it's an Arbok and Lily is a tasty morsel of food. She struggles valiantly against her bindings, as they raise her from the security of the earth to the empty air above.

These chains serve the same purpose as the ones that shattered Red did, within seconds Lily loses her ignorance regarding their purpose. Rose pink light snakes its way around their dark surface, climbing their length to reach its destination. Straight to Hell, to feed the Eternal Master of Darkness.

Her screams of agony pierce the ears of every living thing within this crippled city, to most they are a delightful sound, but to a small number they are the worst sound imaginable. A fresh wave of tears crawls down her cheeks, inspiring pity in even the blackest of hearts.

Blaziken abandons his fight with Garchomp the instant her cries reach his ears, just long enough to him to stare in horror at the sight of the woman, who may as well be his sister, die before him. _"LILY!"_

She throws her head back, screaming as loud as she possibly can. "SOMEONE HELP ME!" She cried. "ANYONE PLEASE!"

Blaziken turns back to face a charging Garchomp, driven by the need to protect his trainer, as well as his burning furry, he delivers a single kick to her face. In this kick, is more strength than any blow he has dealt her during this long battle.

Without waiting to see the results of his devastating kick, he leaps straight towards the Psychic Mage, with a Fire Punch ready to shatter the chains that both bind and kill. _"I'ma comin' Lily!"_

* * *

Eis slowly cranes his head around to face his opponent, gauging his reaction to what he has just done. "I'm touching her… I'm hurting her… I'm killing her. What are you going to do about it?" He taunted darkly.

The electric blue orbs of sight, belonging to battered and broken Knight, cannot provide him with the sight of his sister's pain. But his razor sharp sense of hearing can't ignore her cries of agony, can't ignore her desperate begging for someone to save her… What his eyes _can_ show him, is the light of her Aura as it climbs the chains to make its way to Hell.

He's so focused on his sister, that he doesn't even realise that Eis is facing him, let alone hear his taunts.

She's dying. His twin sister is dying, right in front of him… Any resistance he previously held for using his deepest powers is stripped away from him by the sounds of her impending death.

Fuck the consequences, fuck the damage he'll cause, FUCK IT ALL! His sister needs him, that's all that matters to him now. He has the power; he's seen the damage he can do when he needs to, whether or not it'll be enough to beat Eis… He doesn't know. But he _must_ try.

He can't break the chains, there's simply no way to do it. Those darkness forged links of steel come from the deepest bowls of Hell; he felt it when they were bound to him. No mortal can break them, but he doesn't need to break them. All he needs to do is force Eis to lose his hold over them, then they'll return to whence they came.

"RRRRREEEEEEEEDDDDDDD! PLEASE HELP ME!" Lily begged at the top of her lungs, crying out for her lost brother.

The sound of her call drives all thought from his mind. For a moment the flames of rage inside him die, washed away by a flood of pain. "Stop it… Stop it" He muttered, finding his strength fading away from him.

His murmurs capture the attention of his captor, who adjusts his head to allow him to listen better, as well as watch his newest prey.

"That's enough… Stop it, that's enough" He added, the pain he now feels easily outweighing the pain from his countless injuries.

The dark chuckling of his greatest enemy crashes against his weakening sense of hearing, weakening his resolve even further. Eis turns to face him properly, smoke still pouring from his eye sockets. "If you want me to stop, you'll have to transform. Otherwise I'll drain her dry, just like I did you…"

Her cries of pain and pleads for mercy begin to lose their strength, growing weaker and weaker with every passing second. Lily's running out of time, if something doesn't give soon, she'll die.

"Only she's not as _sturdy_ , as you are Boy… She won't survive losing all her Aura" Eis concluded. "If she dies today, you will have only yourself to blame"

That's it. The fire of rage, which was extinguished by the pain of his sister's suffering, returns to his body. Burning straight through his heart, to engulf his very soul in a blazing inferno of furry.

Instantly his blood begins to boil in his veins, burning him from the inside out. He shuts his eyes tightly, grinds his teeth as hard as he can, then _forces_ his body to move.

Although horrific pain engulfs his entire frame, he ignores every bit of it. His hands reconnect with the cold of the steel below, as they push his battered and whipped body off its surface. Drawing on his new found furry, he slides his knees under him and pushes harder off the ground.

Through the pain, through the sound of his flesh ripping apart, through everything he forces himself to stand. His blood steadily flows down from his split flesh, dripping from his shredded robes and hissing as it meets with the half frozen metal.

Eis watches him struggle to his feet with an amused look across his ghost like face, so pale it resembles that of a surgical room's white walls. The man standing before him slowly wobbles forwards; he's barely able to move his feet. "Surely you don't intend to fight like that Boy, you couldn't even punch your way out of a wet paper bag like this" He taunted.

Carried on by the burning inferno that makes up his scarred soul, Red puts everything he has into a single attack. His right fist hurls forwards, crashing straight into the bridge of Eis' nose.

The blow hurt him more than it did its target, Eis barely even felt anything. The rush of air was mostly what he felt from that 'attack', judging by the heavy panting he's doing, Red can't have anything left. "This isn't even worth my time" He hissed, before extending his index finger, and pressing it against the forehead of Red.

The eyes of the broken Warrior roll into the back of his head, in the same instance his legs give out under the strain of his own weight, he falls backwards and slams onto the ground. Completely powerless.

He doesn't even have the strength to roll into a more comfortable position on his stomach, let alone stand and fight again. He's lost so much strength, almost all of it; he has enough to keep himself alive, but can do nothing else. He's forced to lie on the ground, listening to the sounds of his sister's death.

The humiliation of falling to a gesture can barely be felt right now; it is there, but is easily outweighed by the fear for his sister's life. She's about to die and there's nothing he can do to stop it… He has the power to do it, locked away inside of him, but how can he find it?

"Power come out, I need to be stronger" He thought. "I know I have the Burst, I've done it before and burned half the forest down! I _need_ the Burst now… More than I've ever needed my power. I'm not fighting for myself; I'm fighting to save my sister… Please power, I beg you to come and save her for me. Do whatever else you want, just save my sister"

The chains tighten around her slender frame, squeezing her like an Orange that needs to be juiced. "SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE! ANYONE!" Her cries stone the hearts of those who love her, but none of them feel the pain they cause her brother, who knows he's the only one who can save her now. But lacks the strength to do so.

The beautiful rose pink glow that surrounds her slender, feminine body dies. Taking with it the metallic shine of her hair, as well as the bulk of her Psychic abilities. She returns to her normal form, the Burst has been stolen from her.

* * *

Blade's right pincer lunges forwards, catching the throat of a female Grunt in its grasp. She abandons her weapons, in favour of clawing desperately at the pincer that both holds her and threatens her life. She stares in to the sharp eyes of her captor; they will be the last thing she ever sees. With a single, short, sharp twist, the light leaves her eyes as her neck snaps.

Blade hurls the body away from him; the stench of her voiding bowls has already assailed his sense of smell. The scared cries and whimpers of those who have survived this ordeal fills his ears, each and every one of them has placed their trust in him to keep them safe from harm, while he will do everything in his power to ensure their trust is well placed, he must ignore their pleas.

If he had the ability to comfort them, he would do so, but to even try would simply be a waste of time and breath. Humans cannot understand the Pokémon tongue, with the exception of his Master and supposedly the ones who rule the order of Aura Knights. The Knight Masters. Having never met a Master, he can neither confirm nor deny this to be the truth.

If only he could spare the time to tell Lucario what to say to them, then perhaps they could find the comfort they seek in his words.

But now is not the time to be thinking such thoughts, they waste precious time and distract him from his mission. To protect each and every one of those his Master, Lily and Willey have entrusted to his protection.

" _Blade, come here I need your council"_ Lucario's words draw Blade's attention.

He quickly bows his head, as a sign of respect to his esteemed elder. _"Of course Master, I am at your command"_

In a red blur, Blade reappears on one knee with a bowed head before the elder Knight. Those who are looking to Lucario for an insight didn't even notice Blade's Quick Attack or his reappearance, all they can see is their loved ones fighting and dying to defend what remains of this once shining city.

Lucario lowers his head to meet Blade; he doesn't allow his paws to move in the slightest. _"Now is not the time for such formalities, rise and help me"_

In a second red blur, Blade stands tall and looks Lucario dead in the eye. He knows this must be serious for a man like Lucario to ask him for aid, during a time like this. _"What do you require of me?"_

Lucario looks at the Orb in his right paw, the Orb that shows Red and Eis, as he does Blade's eyes roll towards the same Orb of Aura. _"Eis has been doing horrible things to Red and Lily, but he has promised to at least stop hurting Lily if Red transforms. He's trying hard, but he seems to be having trouble, I trust you know Eis better than I, tell me is Eis a man of his word? Will he release my Granddaughter if Red transforms?"_

Blade's normally sharp eyes shrink in his exoskeleton, the pupils of which shake inside their yellow prison. Even without heightened senses, it's obvious to all those there that Blade is terrified. _"Master… Don't do it Master, she's a grown woman and can take care of herself… It's not worth it Master"_

Both Lucario and Blade are so focused on the events elsewhere in the city, that neither of them notices the tears cascading down the faces of the emotionally shattered Delia and Serena, as well as the traumatised Bonnie and Clemont. All four of them have their eyes firmly fixed on at least one of the two Orbs; Delia's eyes are freely alternating between the two. Both Clemont and Bonnie have found their eyes to be fixed on the left Orb, the one revealing the pain Lily's suffering at the chains of Eis. Serena's eyes are mostly focused on the right Orb, but occasionally flicker to the left to check on Lily.

Lucario takes in the fear Blade's eyes reveal, questions form in his mind. _"Blade, why won't Red transform? Why don't you want him to do it?"_

Blade slowly lifts his eyes to meet those of his elder; still they shake and show no signs of stopping. _"… If Master transforms, then nothing will stop him… His power will reach a level that no one here will be able to challenge, let alone meet… If he's even in control, we might be lucky and the Beast will possess him, if it does, then there will be far less destruction"_ His voice is shaking with the weight of the steel behind them.

* * *

Charizard slowly forces his eye to open, his one remaining window into his soul is failing him, his vision is blurred, but he doesn't need his eye to hear Lily's desperate pleas for help, each cry sends chills down his pine.

He doesn't know Lily, he and Red left before he had the chance to get to know her. All he really knows about her is what his brother has told him. _"You two caused so much trouble. You were just kids, but you caused shit tones of trouble. You had your Mom tearing her hair out some days. The Boss lost count of how many times someone dragged you both home to her by your ears… He'll never admit it, but he loves you Lily… He's too proud to say it, but he can't hide anything from me, he loves his sister"_ He growled to himself.

He summons what's left of his strength to push his claws into the merciless concrete. _"If I let you die, he'll never let me hear the end of it… If I can breathe, then I can fight"_ He pushes against the ground with everything he has, he will lift his sorry carcass off the ground, even if it kills him.

* * *

Why won't it come? Why won't the power Red needs to come to him? "Come on power, I know you're there. I NEED THE BURST NOW!" He mentally screamed. As his anger rises, so does his power, but it's still nowhere near strong enough to even allow him to stand up again, let alone fight Eis.

His battered and broken body refuses to move, allowing the pain to intensify beyond measure. His blood continues to boil, the blood that should be keeping him alive is instead boiling in his veins; the flames of rage have turned his very blood against him. The heat from his blood begins to warm his flesh, restoring the colour and life back into it.

As his power grows, Eis' excitement grows alongside it, unable to contain it, his body begins trembling. He looks over his shoulder once again, the smoke still pours from his eye sockets. "Tick tock Boy, your sister is running out of time… I give her one minute to live, her only chance to survive is in your hands, does she live or die Boy? Make your choice" He said coldly.

Not a moment later, the light shimmering across the chains shines brighter, as more power crackles across their surface. A fresh wave of tears flood down Lily's delicate ivory skin, she can feel her consciousness slipping away from her. Perhaps the pain will go with her when her mind gives out on her, meaning her suffering will never end… Or maybe, just maybe, losing her grip on reality will mean an end to her suffering. Either way she'll find out soon. Her flesh begins to turn a dark shade of grey, just as Red's did when he suffered this fate.

The young male can't bear to hear this anymore, he clamps his eyes shut, trying somehow to block the sound out. A lifetime of pain and suffering has given him a high tolerance for their icy sting, pain matters little to him now, even the pain of others has little meaning to him, after all, pain fades given time.

So why does this hurt so much? Why do Lily's cries for help stab the stone in his chest so badly? It's not like it's the first time he's heard cries of pain that aren't his own, he usually laughs at the sound… It's never hurt like this, why? Why does it hurt so much?

The man filled with confusion finds his hands lifting, allowing him to look upon them, no light shines from them; no hue of Aura surrounds them, why? Why have his powers forsaken him? Is he not meant to save his sister's life? Is she meant to die today? Has fate already written this? Does her story end here?

As these questions flow through his mind, his hands coil in on themselves and become tight fists. The boiling blood in his veins burns his flesh from the inside out, if only his body had a way for him to vent the heat. The burning from his blood only gets stronger with each question.

The frustration at not being able to help his sister is building too high for him to handle. "I NEED MORE POWER!" He roared into the sky. He manages to roll onto his stomach, just so he can slam his fists into the cold steel beneath him. "I NEED THE BURST!"

Eis' eye widens at the sight before him, he had thought that his anger would be strong enough by now, for some reason it's not. It seems he has to push him harder, perhaps her death will be enough of a push, if not… What will he do? If this isn't enough to push him over the edge, what will be? He could do the same to the rest of his family, but it would be pointless, after her death his anger will reach its peak. If it's not enough to send him over the edge, then nothing will be. "This had better work, if not then I throwing away my only ace" He thought with a hint of fear.

Red slams his forehead down hard, hard enough for the echo of banging metal to resonate with the other sounds throughout the city. He slowly lifts his head up, a sting in his forehead, combined with the sensation of being touched, tells him that a wound has been born where his head collided with the steel. The raw heat from his boiling blood runs down his face, he grinds his teeth and growls into the metal. "WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?! TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO AND I'LL DO IT!"

The smoke flowing from Eis' eye sockets finally dies, the moment it does the light flowing across the chains fades, taking the screams of pain away with it. The chains that bind Lily remain, holding the dying Knight firmly in their grasp, suspending her above the ground. Eis slowly turns his head back to face her, a cold look of disappointment is written across his twisted face. "I see you made your choice. Your stubbornness has cost your sister her life. I trust it was worth it"

Red's eyes bolt open and shake in their sockets, why can't he hear her anymore? Why isn't she screaming for help? Did she break free? Has someone saved her?

His body is too weak to allow him to look with his own eyes, but his Aura can serve as his eyes for him. The orbs of sight glow blood red as his Aura reaches out and explores the battlefield for him.

His vision reaches the ground below; the carnage of war has destroyed the once peaceful scene. There is nothing but death, destruction and blood filling the streets. Charizard catches his eye; he's trying with everything he has to stand up. Blaziken lies on the ground, unconscious and covered in blood from where he was attacked by Garchomp.

The near immortal dragoness herself stands in the remains of the fountain, looking down at her newest victim, a young Donphan, whose tusks have been ripped out of his head and used to puncture his eyes. It seems she doesn't care who her challenger is, or who they are fighting in the name of, all that matters to her now is the kill. She turns her gaze towards the other dragon, who is trying with every fibre of his being to stand once again.

None of this concerns him now, all that matters is finding his sister, finding the woman who was crying out for her brother to help her, finding the woman who shares his blood and has felt the pain of having your Aura ripped from you. There is nothing to him now but finding his sister and saving her from Yveltal's talons.

Not a second later a horrific sight enters his vision, his twin sister, hanging in the air by four black chains. Her head hung low with the colour draining from her flesh. The brilliant rose pink light shining inside of her grows weaker and weaker with each passing second. She's dead. The chains drained every last drop of her Aura, thus ending her short life.

The sound of shattering glass echoes through the young Warrior's mind as his eyes shrink in their sockets, his vision darkens as his Aura returns to his body. For the briefest of moments, his pain comes to an end, the pain of his broken body ends. For a tiny fraction of a second, there is nothing but numbness, like he's been slammed in the chest by a Mega Punch made of steel, there is no pain strong enough to break through the pain of loss.

The moment of numbness ends as quickly as it came, the pain from his broken body returns tenfold, the pain from his boiling blood burns his flesh once again, add in the death of his sister… And you have a man that is filled with too much blind rage to have any form of self-control.

Eis turns sharply on his heel to face the dumbstruck Red, his arms remain crossed and a scowl has taken up residence on his face. Now it is time to see whether or not his gamble is going to pay off, all he can do is wait and see if Red's power will awaken or remain sleeping inside of him forever.

The emotionally numb Knight slowly lifts his head up, his eyes still shaking in his head. His vision is blurring, whether from the pain or his burning rage, he doesn't know or care, there is only one thought on his mind now. Revenge.

 **(A/N I don't own this song, Madness in me by Skillet)**

 **The madness in me…**

 **The madness in me…**

 **The madness in me…**

 **The madness in me…**

 **The madness in me…**

His gaze falls across the man with the white skin and black eyes, the moment it does, his body erupts in brilliant red light which morphs and twists into a roaring red fire across his body, his eyes burn in their sockets, maintaining their blood crimson colour. "I. Will. Destroy. You" He spat each word with more venom than an Arbok, a low and menacing snarl emanates from him, sending chills down the spines of those atop the tower with him.

 **Just one spark, is all it takes**

 **I tried so hard, but it all goes up in flames…**

The light surrounding him grows brighter and stronger with each passing second; before long it's enough blind the eye of Eis. The Fear Master of Ice raises his arms to try and block out the light before it claims his sight. This is it, he can feel it. Red's power is skyrocketing, going well beyond what it was when this battle began.

 **This is not the way I thought I would turn out to be**

 **Tried to get but all that I got was more insanity**

 **Broken everything that I've touched**

 **Just gone against me**

 **I can't get away…**

His eye widens in shock, Red's power is rising much higher than he thought it would this quickly, just how strong is he? He can't be stronger than him, he is a Fear Master and the Boy is just an Apprentice, but yet… He's got so much power, too much power, if this keeps up he'll not only surpass his sister, he'll surpass Eis himself!

 **From the FIRE! That burns inside, consuming!**

 **I fight to stay alive, but I can't breathe!**

 **The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything**

 **This is the madness in me!**

The light surrounding Red's body lifts him from the cold steel, he rises like a raging fire without so much as moving a muscle. His feet quickly plant themselves firmly into the cold metal floor. His hands coil tightly into fists, so tightly that blood drips down from his palms onto the metal below. His blood hisses as it makes contact with the steel, within a second it evaporates into a red mist. His face twists in on itself, as his conscious mind is swallowed by his blinding and unforgiving furry, his eyes burn even brighter, shining beyond the fire like light surrounding him.

 **Madness in me!**

 **The madness in me!**

 **Madness in me!**

 **Madness in me!**

Eis parts his arms a crack, allowing the light to penetrate his defences once again. His eye takes a moment to adjust to the change, but once it does, the sight before him sparks his excitement even further. He can see it, the Burst, Red's drawing out his deepest powers and awakening the Burst.

 **Just one chance, is all it takes**

 **Can't change the past, but I can fight to change today!**

It seems his gamble has paid off; he didn't need to spare the girl. He stopped the chains from taking the last drop of her Aura, leaving her with just enough power to keep herself alive, at least for a short time. While some may question his decision, he decided it was best to keep her alive, so he could kill her before Red's eyes. So the Boy could look into her eyes as he ripped her throat out… But now, that's no longer necessary. She is of no concern to him now and will likely die once the transformation is complete, along with everything else here.

 **This is not the way that I thought I would turn out to be**

 **Tried to get but all that I got, was more insanity**

 **Broken everything that I've touched, just gone against me**

 **Got to get away…**

The flames of rage burn inside Red's chest, threatening to burn their way through his flesh, bones and explode out of him, consuming everything in their path, leaving nothing but a burning trail of ashes. He finds himself not caring in the slightest anymore, if he cared about anything else before this began; any and all traces of it are fleeing from the rage inside of him.

 **From the FIRE! That burns inside, consuming!**

 **I fight to stay alive, but I can't breathe!**

 **The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything!**

 **This is the madness in me!**

This is it, the point of no return; once the next phase of the transformation begins he will lose all control over himself. There's no telling how much damage will be done, not just to himself, but the city, there's no way to predict how many will die, how many will be hurt… None of that matters anymore, he's been consumed by blinding rage and hatred, all there is, is the single burning desire to destroy Eis.

 **Madness in me!**

 **The madness in me!**

 **Madness in me!**

A shockwave of power bursts through his body, slamming into every living thing around him, Eis, Chomp and the frozen duo all feel the raw power flowing through his veins. His body heat is rising to extreme temperatures, temperatures that'd kill any normal man. The water in the air surrounding him evaporates into heavy steam, taking away the oxygen in the process.

 **Just one spark…**

 **Is all it takes…**

His Aura crackles across his glowing form, breathing new life into his battered and broken body, his bones reform and reseal into solid masses, stronger than steel. His flesh wounds knit back together, leaving no scars behind and toughening it to the point where even razor sharp steel cannot pierce it. The armour that was stolen by the chains that bind his sister reforms across his body, stronger and lighter than it was before.

 **For the FIRE! That burns inside, consuming!**

 **I fight to stay alive, but I can't breathe!**

 **The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything!**

 **THIS IS THE MADNESS IN ME!**

The metal beneath his feet begins to tremble under the weight of all his raw power, the trembling quickly spreads throughout the tower and then the earth bellow. Any lingering shards of glass across the surface of this once sparkling tower quickly fall from their home, to meet the shattered earth below.

 **FIRE! That burns inside, consuming!**

 **I fight to stay alive, but I can't breathe!**

 **The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything!**

 **THIS IS THE MADNESS IN ME!**

Within seconds the trembling becomes a full force earthquake, spreading throughout the entire city trapped by the bubble of darkness. The very earth is trembling in fear of the power flowing through the young Knight.

 **THE MADNESS IN MEEEEE!**

 **THIS IS THE MADNESS IN MEEEEE!**

 **THE MADNESS IN MEEEEE!**

Whatever is left of the crushed city quickly crumbles away into smouldering piles of rubble, crushing anything and everything that is unfortunate enough to linger in range of what was once their homes.

* * *

The red pincer Pokémon, who calls himself Blade, takes a short sharp breath. As his Master begins the dangerous transformation, he can feel the rage flooding through their bond; he can feel it devouring his Master's mind, leaving nothing but pure instinct in its place. As the rage flows through him, his own power grows alongside that of his Master's, Charizard was right, what affects one of them affects them all.

Lucario can feel the tremors in the earth, while they are minimal right now, they will quickly grow into a full force earthquake. Right now that's not important, there is far more on the line than this city now, at least to him there is. His only Granddaughter is hanging by a thread, she's barely alive. Why did Eis spare her? He could have easily slaughtered her, so why didn't he?

Lucario stares into the Orb in his left paw, showing him and the others the young woman who has lost so much today. If only he had a Connection open with her, even a temporary one, he could give her what little life lingers in him, it may not be much but it'd be enough to save her.

A soft and gentle hand clasps onto his right gauntlet, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turns to acknowledge Delia, who has tears cascading down her delicate face. "Please tell me my baby girl's alive" She pleaded.

His eyes shut, how can he tell the woman who has given him a home for so long, that her daughter is at death's door? That she's just a breath away from the end? How can he tell his family that one of their own is dying and the other is causing an earthquake throughout the city?

A pair of small child like arms wrapping around his torso tugs his attention to his side. The golden haired girl looks up at her elder with pleading, puffy red eyes. "Please Mr Lucario… Is Lily goanna be OK?" Bonnie cried.

Two more hands make their way to the elder Pokémon, who has taken the family role as Grandfather, the first presses onto his left shoulder while the second holds his left arm. Both Clemont and Serena look at him with pleading eyes, begging him to tell them the truth.

With great pain, he gives them all a heavy sigh and lowers his head. _"Lily is alive, but only just. Eis has drained all of her power out of her as well as most of her life force; she needs help if she is to have any chance of survival… If I could, I'd go to her side and give her every ounce of power that remains in my old body… But there's no way I'd be able to even get close to her, not with all this fighting… I'd be cut down before I even got close to her"_ He said bitterly.

A few gasps of fear and shock echo around him, but none of them relinquish their grasp on him in the slightest. To them, Lucario is their only lifeline to their loved ones and friends. Delia swallows her tears; she must ask one last question before she loses her nerve. "Lucario… Tell me the truth now, what's happening to Red? He looks so strange, what's happening to him? Are we going to lose him too?"

Lucario was expecting a question like this, how could they not ask him? He has his suspicions, but he cannot tell them something that might not be true, he turns to Blade for an answer to the question.

Blade's eyes are still shaking in their sockets, more so than before, the quakes are not causing it though, fear has claimed him. He looks at each and every one of those clinging to Lucario, he can see they are all just as afraid as he is and yet they don't have the faintest clue how much danger they're all in, they don't have the faintest idea how much worse things are about to become. _"Master is entering the Burst mode… His body is changing; soon the Master we know will be gone"_

Lucario looks into Blade's eyes as he speaks, he can easily see he's not telling them everything. _"I am aware that Red is transforming Blade, but why are you so afraid of it? What do you mean by 'soon he will be gone'? What is it about the Burst that frightens you so much?"_

Blade clamps his eyes shut and grinds his teeth, none of them could possibly grasp the magnitude of this, how could they? They haven't seen the horror of this transformation with their own eyes before. _"Have you ever seen someone you care about lose control before? Have you looked into their eyes to see everything that makes them who they are die? Have you felt their mind vanish and their primal instincts take control?... Master is going to die, in his place the creature their kind fears and has made into a legend will be born. Master is going to lose his mind; he is losing everything that is him. He will see every living thing as a threat, including us, soon mine and Charizard's minds will follow suit, so I must make this quick. Submit to him. Submit to his rule. It is the only chance any of you have to live to see the sun again"_

Lucario's eyes shrink in a mix of shock and fear; he slowly shakes his head, unable to believe Blade's words. _"No… Not that, anything but that. Are you trying to tell me, that Red cannot control the Burst? Why? Why would Eis force him to use this power if he can't control it?... Unless… Oh god no, he doesn't want to destroy this place, he wants Red to do it!"_

Before Blade can confirm his fears, the earth beneath their feet begins to shake, the tremors are becoming quakes. The quakes are penetrating the bowls of the earth, shifting them around, causing a full-forced earthquake.

His Steel typing betrays him, the earthquake sends pain throughout Lucario's body. His legs buckle under his own weight, he just can't stand anymore. Instead of falling to the cold ground though, he stays upright, confusion races through him, why didn't he fall?

His answer comes in the form of those holding onto him; a moment ago they were clinging to him for support, now they're holding him up, stopping him from bearing the brunt of the earthquake. Serena has dropped the blade that was given to her, allowing her to join the others in holding him up.

The confusion dissolves away in an instant, replaced by shock and disbelief, his body may be old but his senses are as sharp as the day he was born, he can easily feel Red's power despite the distance between them. His eyes widen in awe of him, his jaw hangs open as he tries to comprehend his power. _"It's unreal… How can one Apprentice possibly wield such amazing power?! I thought Lily was gifted, able to use the Burst at her age, but… She is like a Caterpie, while Red is an ancient Dragonite… And he hasn't even finished the transformation yet! HIS POWER IS ALREADY LEVEL WITH EIS'!"_

Blade slowly lowers his pincers either side of him, as he does his head descends with them. Despite being part Steel type, the earthquake isn't harming him in the slightest, it's as if it isn't happening. He can feel incredible power flowing through him, shielding him from the effects of the quakes. His eyes slowly change colour, it's like a drop of food colouring has been dropped into his eyes, turning them blood red.

The disciplined Bug type raises his head up to normal height, displaying his newly coloured eyes to them all. Not giving them the chance they need to see his eyes properly, he bolts around on the spot to face the tower. _"MASTER! STOP IT! STOP IT NOW MASTER! IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO END THIS NIGHTMARE BEFORE IT GET'S WORSE!_ _ **RED!**_ _STOP IT NOW PLEASE! WHILE WE HAVE CONTROL PLEASE I BEG YOU!"_

Common sense would normally be telling him that his voice isn't powerful enough to reach his Master's ears, but the new found power has addled his mind, there's no room for common sense anymore.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Charizard is also feeling new power flowing through his body. His eye opens wide; the normal blue colour has become blood red, just as Blade's did. His vision falls across the near immortal Dragon striding towards him, her claws glowing green with Dragon energy.

He finds his eye narrowing of its own accord, pure unrestrained aggression flows through his bond with his brother; the rage empowers and renews his body. His tail flame grows to twice its normal size, activating his special ability Blaze, doubling the power of his fire attacks once again.

He spreads his wings as far as he can, the blood flows through them once again. With a single powerful flap, he lifts himself up into the air and then slams his talons down onto the cracked ground. His powerful tail slams down onto the ground, cracking apart the rubble even further. He bares his razor sharp fangs and claws, ready to rip the scales from Garchomp one by one. _"I'm through messing around; now I'm goanna rip your god dam head off!"_ He cranes his neck to look up at the tower. _"Boss, do it. Transform and blow him to tiny pieces, leave nothing behind"_

With his message to his brother sent, he refocuses his attention on Garchomp. He charges forwards, his Slash attack ready to render flesh from bone. She too charges forwards, her Dragon Claw ready to rip him to pieces.

* * *

Eis stands at the edge of the tower, his arms raised to shield his face from both the light and the heat flowing from Red. The Ice duo huddle together to try and stave off the heat, their natural body chill is their only hope for surviving the oven like inferno of heat the Knight is producing.

The man of Fire himself stands in the centre of the tower, the final shreds of his mind are fading fast, but his power is swelling faster. His face is filled with a mixture of pain and rage, his eyes are firmly clamped shut in an effort to try and block out the agony surging through his entire body.

The pain from this transformation is nothing compared to the pain from his own blood, the boiling heat from it is leaking through his flesh to heat the world around him, right now he might as well be an open fire pit. The heat is about to get hotter, the next phase of the transformation is about to begin.

With a pulse of red light across his flesh, his blood erupts into flames and liquid lava inside his veins. His eyes rip open and shrink to the size of pinheads. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared, to try and handle the pain.

The ground around his feet crackles and sparks, within a matter of seconds a raging fire erupts around his exposed limbs. The flames leap from the metal and clings to his armour, erupting his body is a frenzy of fire and pain. His flesh feels the heat of the flames, but does not bleed nor burn; the flames are as much a part of him as his skin. The fire burning across his body ignites the hair on his head, the newly formed flames dance across his skull as they reach out for the skull of darkness above.

His feet are fusing with the metal; even if he wanted to he couldn't move from this spot. He is trapped in the flames of his own uncontrolled furry.

The light shining from the flames bathes the rest of them in its warming glow, the young Chomp embraces it, it reminds him of the warmth from his mother's scally hide.

The human fire pit lowers his head, to glare at the only other human atop this tower. Eis can only try to shield his eye from the light; nothing can shield him from the raw heat of the fire, his cold and half frozen flesh can't stand much more of this. He expected power, he expected fire and he expected heat… But he never predicted this much of any of them!

"In… Incredible. He is far more powerful than I could have imagined… If he is this powerful, how strong is the Beast?" He thought in a hushed tone.

Red's body begins to morph and change once again, as he enters the next phase of his deadly transformation. His fingernails grow longer and curl into two inch long razor sharp talons, strong enough to rip through solid steel. His jaw opens wide, as wide as physically possible without breaking itself in the process. His canine teeth are growing longer and sharper, forming themselves into dragon like fangs; they're now perfect for tearing and ripping through flesh, strong and sharp enough to glide through bone like paper.

An invisible force grasps his head, forcing him to arch his back to face the skull of darkness above him. "RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared at the top of his burning lungs, expelling the last remaining shreds of restraint from his body, surrendering what little control he has left. Running unopposed, his uncontrollable rage takes full control over his body, forcing his mind away.

A horrendous fire erupts like a volcano around him, engulfing his entire body is white hot flames. Power, in its most primal form, fire. No smoke rises from these flames of rage and war, it is not natural fire; they are an extension of his body. The flames of furry climb through the air, clawing their way towards their target, the skull of Darkness. The flames light up the city, drawing the attention of every living thing.

For a moment, the fighting ends as all eyes turn to the flames. For some these flames are a sign of their impending defeat, for others they are a much needed sign of hope. The hopes of the people fighting to defend their homes and loved ones rise like a volcano amongst an ocean of ice and darkness, signalling for them to fight back and destroy their enemies.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The flames of war roared like a Druddigon challenging its opponent.

A trembling, terrified Eis struggles to hold on long enough for the transformation to be complete. The heat flowing from his enemy is burning him; it feels like he's standing amidst an erupting volcano, if this doesn't end soon, he'll be forced to flee. "Almost there now, just a little longer… I cannot believe I underestimated his power this much, once the Beast is free I won't be able to stop it… Without my sword I cannot flee fast enough, I will have to find a way to calm it long enough to reclaim my weapon" He thought with fear.

The flames crash into the skull of Darkness, within seconds it is completely swallowed by the rage of war. Eis lifts his gaze to the skull above, the symbol that this city belongs to the Eternal Master of Darkness, both Froslass and Glalie do the same. All three of them watch as the skull burns away into nothing but pure smoke.

The moment the skull loses its battle with the flames, brilliant blood red light bursts through the flames surrounding the Knight of Fire. In a matter of seconds, the flames coil around the male trying desperately to hold on, just a little longer. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" As the roar of pain rips the air around it apart, the flames that light up the tower top leap from their host and dance across the sky.

The flames swirl around themselves, dragging the rising smoke from the smouldering remains of the city towards them, together the flames and smoke crash down across the city. As the embers and flames dance and fall across this place, an almost Christmassy vibe falls across the city, making the whole thing come together like a giant snow-globe.

The metal covered floor has been burned black; the darkest burns reside at the feet of the enraged male, the steel beneath his feet has been warped by the heat. Both the light and the heat having faded, Eis slowly lowers his arms held across his face and looks hopefully at the man before him.

The young Knight has somehow turned on the spot to show his back to Eis, his knees have buckled completely underneath him; he has hunched over, with his head pressed into his chest. His arms are bound tightly across his burned head, no fire remains on his scalp, all that remains is short black, burned hair.

The male is making no sound whatsoever; even the sound of his breathing cannot be heard. It's as though the pain and heat have forced his lungs to shut down. Eis' fear begins to dissolve away, this is it. Years of planning have led to this moment, the moment where the Beast becomes the man. His cold and frigid lips curl ever so slightly into a faint smile. "Beast? Are you there brother?"

The male who was once thought to be Red doesn't respond, nor does he make even the slightest of movements. He just crouches there, doing who knows what. Eis steels his courage; this could go very wrong, very easily. He must be careful, as soon as he is certain the Beast is in control, he must flee. The Beast is an incredibly dangerous creature, that holds a burning hatred for him, he must be cautious when dealing with it. He slowly steps forward, being careful not to make too much noise or move too fast, any sudden movements could set it off. "Beast?… Are you in there? Brother? Answer me"

Still the male doesn't respond to the call, nor does he give any indication that he has even heard anything. Eis carefully steps forwards; as he does he lifts his head up to see if he is alone. To his slight relief, both Glalie and Froslass are atop the tower with him, like him they are both staring at the hunched over man, wondering just how he will react when he sees Eis standing before him.

Eis stands an arm's length from his target now; slowly a single shaking hand reaches forwards. "Beast… Answer me, I know it's you brother, you don't have to pretend anymore, I know why you acted like that before… You don't have to worry about killing him, you have more than enough power now… You can stand strong and face me, stand at my side and together we will set you free" He whispered delicately. His hand slowly drops down to the male's right shoulder and clasps onto it.

Upon the rather rough touch of his enemy, the male's arms slide off his head, unveiling his short burnt, black hair for them all to see, his arms drop to the ground either side of him, his hands press into the warped metal. Slowly his head lifts from his chest, forcing both of the Ice Pokémon to look upon his face and allowing his gaze to fall upon the crumbling city below.

All across the city, people and Pokémon alike turn their attention to the top of the tower, some continue with what they were doing, but most turn their attention to the tower. The fire raining down on them has caught their attention and drove it towards the peak. The same questions pass through their minds, is this it? Has their hope in the young Warrior been misplaced? Has he failed them?… Does this eternal nightmare finally have an end, or are they doomed to death in the dark?

The male atop the tower slowly turns his head, taking in the sights of the city; most of it has been crushed into rubble by the living bomb, Forretress. This city is all but dead, it has been forever scarred by the fierce battle, but somehow it is still standing.

Eis tightens his grip a little, in an attempt to coax a response from the hunched male. A low menacing growl is his reward, the growl cuts through them all like a knife.

Sensing danger, Eis slowly lifts his hand away and takes a step backwards, his hope rises even higher, the Beast is notorious for its menacing growls, he has done it, the Beast is free.

With nothing to hold him down anymore, the young male lifts himself up into a standing position, his powerful legs easily able to hold him up without issue. The blood and life drains from both Froslass and Glalie's faces, any hope they had for the plan dissolves away in an instant, replaced by pure terror.

The male, that mere hours ago was happily spending time with his lost loved ones, slowly turns around, his menacing growl only grows louder as he does. Eis' vison falls across his face, his eye widens in disbelief as his head slowly shakes on the spot. "It's not possible…" He whispered to himself. "You're not the Beast. You're not the Boy… What are you?"

The male's eyes are a cold shade of milky white, any and all colour and life has been burned out of them, he's clearly blind. His short burnt, black hair reignites into flames. They quickly form into spikes that rise towards the sky above; these spikes grow longer and longer forming several six inch solid spikes of fire. Once the spikes all grow out to their full length, the bright red metallic hair bursts through the flames, dispersing them into nothingness.

His armour strains and creaks as his muscles grow stronger and heavier. A brilliant red glow shines from his transformed body; it shines out of everything that comprises his very being, making him shine like a fallen angle.

 **(A/N Again, look up DBZ Teen Gohan Super Saiyan 2, he looks somewhat like that, just tweak the colours and remove the chunk of hair that falls over his face)**

The transformation is complete. Eis pushed Red into a corner; he kept pushing and pushing him, forcing him to delve into the deepest depths of his power… This is the result; Red has transformed and entered the Burst mode.

He wanted to flood Red's body with power, while weakening his resistance enough to allow the Beast to possess him. While it would have been in control, he could have performed the next step of his plan; he could have forced the Beast to become the man… But he has failed.

Red is gone, his mind has abandoned his body, forced away into a cage. The Beast is nowhere to be found, like Red, it too is locked away in its cage. The creature that stands before Eis now is neither Red nor the Beast; it is the living legend himself.

The _true_ Invincible Monster of the Forest has been awakened and he is blinded by rage.

The Fear Master of Ice has made the biggest mistake of his long life; he has unleashed the furry of a creature with near limitless power, a primal creature with no conscious mind, the Monster with only the instinct to destroy everything around him. He has sentenced not only himself, but every living thing in this entire city to death.

Nothing will stop this Monster, nothing will restrain him, he will not stop until everything in his sights is either dead or destroyed… Eis has provoked the furry of a living legend and he has no earthly way of stopping it.

"What… What I have I done?"

* * *

 **MAJOR CLIFF-HANGER!**

 _ **NEVER**_ **PISS RED OFF! THIS SHIT'S WHAT HAPPENS! Red's just like me right now, HE'S LOST HIS TINY MIND!**

 **But he's NOT me; I'm coming in later… Oops, shouldn't have said that. DON'T BLAME ME! IT WAS GUESS WHO! HE'S WORKING WITH THE DEMON WALRUS!**

 **OK guys, as I said before next chapter will be the end of this arc. After the next chapter I'll be taking a break to do planning and get the time line sorted out. I've got some points planned out, like the ending… Don't even ask, only Wolf knows how this will end, and that's 'cause he's my Beta and friend.**

 **The rest of you gotta wait! Be patient!**

 **Last minute points, next chapter the mystery man with the Pikachu will be formally introduced, along with two more characters I'm looking forward to writing in. Trust me; you'll know them when you read them.**

 **Remember…. I'M OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND! You read that, then you'll know who my favourite Character in this story is.**

 **Also Wolf, remind me to dock Charizard and Blaziken's pay, they broke Character and called me names!... They're mean… DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Drop a suggestion for a chapter. Get angry with me for leaving it at yet another mother fucking cliff-hanger, do whatever you guys want.**

 **But make sure you hit that Follow/Favourite button with your face!**

 **DRAGON IS OUT OF HIS TINY MIND!... And out!**


	13. The Battle of LC - Part 4

**Chapter 13: The Battle of Lumiose city – Part 4**

 **HEY GUYS!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back! And this time he's sorta sane again! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I've been locked up in the nuthouse, and had my crazy pills forced down my throat!**

 **Time for the** _ **LONG**_ **list of shoutouts and thanks!**

 **Shoutout to** _ **EVERYONE**_ **who hit that Follow/Favourite button with your face! It's always fantastic to see someone else has hit that button! Thanks so much guys, it really motivates me to work my ass off and type, type like the wind! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Time for the reviews!**

 **Jpr123:**

 **Chapter 2, I'm so pleased you loved it dude! Thanks so much for the praise, it really gives me a boost and drives me to write better chapters!**

 **Chapter 4, yeah these chapters can take FOREVER to read, imagine how long they take to write and proofread! The Beast is an ugly mother fucker, but it'll be even uglier, now Red's an adult. Hehehehe, Charmander was my favourite character for the first arc, he was the guy who just did the random "SHUT YOUR FUCKING FACE!" moments. Hehehehehe. Thanks so much dude, it's really appreciated.**

 **Chapter 5, I'm glad you were laughing with those one dude! Dude if you like the visions, I can't wait to see how you feel about the actually chapter Red's one takes place in. Fuck that'll be an awesome chapter. Hehehehe. I know… It was so sad… (Wipes away imaginary tears) WHY?! WHY ME WHY?! WHY DID I MAKE HIM LEAVE?! Dude if you hate Luke in that chapter, I hate to imaging what you'll think of him the next time he comes in… Hehehehe, nope. Charmander doesn't think men should cry or be sappy, they should just fight and kill each other. Lol. Drake… He does sound familiar, doesn't he… Well I'll let you figure out that one dude. Hehehehe. Thanks for all the reviews dude!**

 **Guest #1: Am I high? No, I don't think so, unless someone's spiked my coke. AH! HAHAHAHA! That's COLA, not cocaine either! I don't do drugs that weren't prescribed my shrink, or doctor. But that's only to keep me alive!**

 **Feta Tsukino: Those aren't kids! They're demons in disguise! What kids speak like adults and act like that on their birthday?! I'll tell you what kids do that, kids who have had a** _ **VERY**_ **bad start to life… But that's coming out later, so I'll keep quiet. Thanks for the review Feta!**

 **Autmun: YAY! HELLA FUNNY! Thanks for the support Autmun! Good luck when Winter comes by! AH! HAHAHAHAHA! Thanks for the review and support!**

 **Sarah: Aww, thanks Sara! Don't worry, 'Dragon out!' is goin' nowhere! It's my outro, and ain't goin' nowhere! I'll keep writing for as long as I've got time, a laptop and hands to type with! *Psst* Don't tell anyone, but I've got a second fic in the works, it'll take a while, but I'm working on another awesome story. Thanks for the review and the support!**

 **Joranlink7856: Yeah, they swear** _ **REALLY**_ **badly, especially for little kids. But the thing is, neither Delia, Mimey or Lucario swore that much… So where'd they get it from? Hmm… Well there's their Masters, who obviously aren't normal. Dude I warned you and everyone else about this, and other things, at the start of the first chapter. Sorry if it's not to your taste, thanks for the review anyway!**

 **ChloboShoka:**

 **Chapter 1, I'm glad you liked it friend! Yeah, it's a Pokémon fic and they're little kids, I had to do** _ **some**_ **cutesy stuff! But trust me, the Dark shit has** _ **BARELY**_ **begun.**

 **Chapter 2, Glad the disclaimer made you laugh friend! Gallade is** _ **VERY**_ **undervalued, you're right! Why does he hate Red? Well I'm sorry, but I can't say… But if you play close attention to the end of chapter 5, you'll see why. Hehehehehe.**

 **Chapter 3, Ah yes, Red's dream… Sweet little baby Nibbler… So cute. Hehehehe, Charmander is a little shit with teeth, and knows how to use 'em! Hehehehehe, I love breaking the fourth wall.**

 **Chapter 4, The Beast showed its ugly face, actually, is it it's face, or is it Red's face? Since it's Red's body an all… Hmm… Eh, who cares? It's gonna be even** _ **UGLIER**_ **then next time it's seen! AH! HAHAHAHA!**

 **Chapter 5, Nope! Luke's been using a fake name, but the question is… Why? Why has he been lying to his Apprentices about his identity? Hmm… We shall see in a couple chapter's time. Hehehehe.**

 **Chapter 6, AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Red's not as bad as Team Rocket, he's just a psychotic mother fucker who'll rip anyone to pieces, with his teeth, if they piss him off… OK maybe he's worse. Lol. Trust me, kicks to the balls hurt like a bitch! Fuck knows how painful having them** _ **crushed**_ **would be. HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Poor bastard has my sympathies!**

 **Chapter 7, that one still needs its rewrite finished, the current one sucks balls, like Guess Who, but the new one is almost done and is** _ **insanely**_ **cheesy and lovey dovey! YAY! Charla's gonna get even fuckin' worse soon, hehehehehehe,** _ **NEVER**_ **get between a horny Dragoness and her mate, you won't survive. HA! Thanks for all the reviews and support Chlobo, it's really appreciated and gave me the boost to get some shit done.**

 **Guest #2: I just did dude!**

 **Keem: Nope nope nope! The fic isn't dead, it's alive! I'll explain why it took me so long to update soon, I just wanna get these reviews responded to first. Awww, thanks for the faith and support dude, I hope to see ya review the this chapter too!**

 **Pikakid98: Thanks dude! I put a lot of work and effort into these chapters, and I'm glad to see someone's enjoying it! Thanks for the support and review!**

 **Catch em all: Yeah dude, I'm mixing things up and kicking Ash out of the spotlight for once! Exactly, Red doesn't get enough love, he's a blank slate and can be moulded into any character a writer wants, so why does he get ignored so much?! Thanks for the support and review dude! Hope to see ya again soon!**

 **Guess Who:….. Dude. Read the outro. I'll respond to you then. The very last thing, so people don't have to read what I say, if they don't want to. But everyone, feel free to read it, I'll be glad to embarrass this mother fucker even more.**

 **And now for the reasons why I haven't been as active on here as I should have… No jokes, no madness and deadly serious time.**

 **Guys I've been going through Hell in my personal life, work has been a complete and utter bitch to me, making me drop everything and work long ass hours all day, every day. And when I've been home, I've had hardly any free time to write. My Mom's been battling cancer for months, two different UNRELATED strains.**

 **Call me what you want, but when you find out your Mom's got a death sentence hanging over her head, it tends to fuck with your head! Then to get told it AGAIN, while she's fighting the other fucking lot, it doesn't exactly make you wanna get up and write!**

 **I've been working long ass hours, going to the hospital with Mom since Dad's too much of a lazy mother fucker to do it himself, and then doing the housework she normally does, because Dad won't help, it tends to leave you VERY tired and a little bitter.**

 **But I'm VERY pleased to say she beat both the cancers last year, only a few months after she was first diagnosed, we're very lucky she caught it early. When I posted the A/N, that's when things started going back to normal and I was back to full strength, and able to write again.**

 **It just goes to show, Cancer** _ **isn't**_ **always a death sentence, it can be beaten.**

 **Now that my whining and bitching is over and done with, let's get on with the chapter!**

 **Oh wait, one last thing. This chapter came out WAY longer than I thought it would, so I've had to cut it in half AGAIN! I know I said last time, this chapter would be the last of this Arc, but I didn't foresee it turning out this way…**

 **But don't worry, it won't be months before I update, because I've already written it! Yeah, that's right! Both chapters have been finished, proofread and checked by WolfBlade84, who is and always will be the** _ **best**_ **Beta Reader ever, and are** _ **almost**_ **ready to go. All I've got to do, is write the A/N for the next one, and it's done! YAY! I'll be posting it a week from today, as last time I did this, most of you guys went straight to the last chapter I posted and not the first half, so I'm not goanna let that happen this time.**

 **You guys can expect to see the next chapter Saturday next week! YAY!**

 **And now, without further delay, I, Mad Ass Dragon, give you… CHAPTER 13! Oh I guess I should warn you guys, this chapter has a** _ **gory**_ **death scene in it.**

 **Disclaimer: I DON'T OWNS POKEMON! I own my foot, that keeps talking to me and telling nasty lies!… Yeah I'm kinda running low on witty ways to say I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

 **Previously**

Eis drained the life from Red's beaten body, taking away every last drop of his Aura, the energy he needs to stay alive. But instead of dying, Red lay on the ground, begging for death to take him. With some persuasion from his Master and his family, he got his heart working again and swore to never let his flame die out again.

But this was not enough for Eis, he wanted to push Red into a corner and force his powers to the surface. He did the same thing to Lily, bringing her to the door of death. That was the final straw, Red's deepest powers were brought to the surface and he transformed into his Burst form, into the _true_ Invincible Monster of the Forest, the creature that has gained a legend.

Eis has provoked the fury of a living legend, and now he has no earthly way to stop it.

* * *

The smoky Barrier that surrounds the burning remains of this once beautiful city, the city that _was_ the crown jewel of Kalos; it both contains what little organic life has survived this long and provides an entrance to the Paladins. Countless streams of smoke continue to fall through the Barrier, forming both Paladins and Paladin Pokémon, their intention is as it has always been. To kill for the glory of the Eternal Master of Darkness.

Their path of death and destruction burns across the ruins, filling the air with thick heated smoke, making it near impossible for even the most sensitive senses of smell to detect even the strongest of scents. The higher the smoke is carried by the heat, the thicker and darker it becomes. Quickly forming an impenetrable shield of darkness, which swallows anything it touches… Including the top half of the tower, where the battle will soon recommence.

Deep within this veil of shadows and death, standing in its very heart, a glow has been ignited. A glow that cuts through the evil of the Paladins, bringing hope to the hearts of those who have none left and terrifying those few who know what it means…

The Invincible Monster of the forest has been awakened.

His warming red glow cuts through the smoke and the ash, putting an end to the fighting in an instant and drawing all eyes in to him. Paladins, humans and Pokémon alike all focus their attention onto him, on his glorious fire that falls through the sky like snowflakes. Their eyes may not be sharp enough to see him, but still they look, waiting for the fallen angel to bring the fighting to an end.

* * *

"What… What have I done?" Eis whispered, fear echoing throughout every syllable. "What are you?" He added, looking what was Red in the eye. Through the darkness cast by his hood, his one white iris trembles.

The male who has done nothing, yet has already had an enormous effect on both the city and the Master of Ice, stands strong. His red metallic hair shimmers in warmth of his own glow, closely resembling the raging fire that burns within his heart. Besides the shinning glow that has captivated the survivors of this battle, an aura of strength, rage, and power surrounds this Monster. The sense provided by his eyes may have been snuffed out be the flames of his own fury, but a true Warrior has no need of it, when he has four other razor sharp senses to explore the world for him.

While his physical appearance has changed and his power has increased beyond measure, that is not what gives him his strength. This strength comes from inside, the true strength of a Warrior.

Tremors surge through the steel floor as the freshly transformed titian of Fire takes his first step towards Eis, knowing exactly where to tread. Sparks of pure Aura crackle all across his body, leaping from his form, to run across the blackened metal.

The three toed feet of Eis detect the tremors running under them, but he pays no mind to them. His focus is not on the sensations running through his body, but rather on the cold, yet burning, eyes of the predatory creature coming towards him. Reflected by the no longer functioning orbs of sight, he sees a memory, a distant memory that was burned into his brain. "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!" A young voice roared in his mind, sounding all too familiar. " **I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!** "

Unthinking of the danger he is in, Eis ponders the memory which has once again surfaced. "I… I remember you now" He murmured, his lips barely parting to push the words out. "I know what you are… You're still you, aren't you boy? You've just…" He pauses for a moment, contemplating which words to use to describe this creature. "Been consumed by your own power, overwhelmed by it… You are lost in a sea of rage, one I brought you to, and until you find your way out again… You're nothing, nothing but the primal instinct to kill. You're… You're Primal Red"

His words go unheard by the one they are meant for, having no way to comprehend their meaning. But they are understood by all else atop this tower, that has become a battlefield. Ghost energy forms across Primal Red's talons, forming a large ghost like limb in place of flesh and bone.

"I created you" Eis murmured, his eye glassy and unfocused, not seeing the deadly Shadow Claw be hurled forwards. "When I killed you… You came back; you came back as this Monster. I'm the one who made you a Monster"

"RRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" A demonic roar bellows through the fangs of the Monster, snapping Eis from his trance like state too late. With a brutal swing of his arm, Primal Red's Shadow Claw tears through Eis' armor, flesh and protective ribcage, as though they're nothing but tissue paper.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Eis' howl of pain echoes throughout the dying city, as his black blood spurts out across his attacker. Dropping like a led weight, he slams down hard onto the burned metal.

Not giving his prey the chance to defend himself, the Monster slams his foot down onto Eis' shattered ribcage, both pinning him to the spot and crushing his bones even further. Eis' screams of pain do nothing to slow Red's assault, nor do they motivate his servants to come to his aid.

The frozen duo remain fixed in the air, watching their Master fall to the Monster. Froslass fights against her urge to protect her Master, there is nothing she can do to stop the Monster and to try would be suicide. _"Please Eternal Master, spare our lives tonight"_ She silently prayed.

Standing in the presence of this Monster, but holding no fear of him or his current actions in his heart, young Chomp watches the man who saved him in awe. His innocence blinds him to the danger he poses as well as the brutality of his attack, all his inexperienced eyes see is the man whom he has bonded with.

For a moment Eis lies on the ground, unmoving and silent. Blood pouring from his split body, while simultaneously filling his lungs. His ribs were shattered by that attack and then forced into his diaphragm, lungs and heart by Primal Red's stomp. The pain he feels is undeniably intense, but he is well aware that it will become far worse if something is not done. Opening his remaining eye, he sees an ocean of white hot flames, pooling in the back of the Monster's throat.

Summoning what little courage lies in his cruel and twisted heart, he lifts his blood soaked hand from the ground to the air, holding it before his attacker. Offering his open palm to him, submissively. His lips part to speak, but in place of words, blood errupts from his lungs.

The flames freeze in Primal Red's throat, held back momentarily, as he is confused by his prey's actions. What is left of his consciousness cannot be called a working mind, only able to comprehend base instincts and emotions; he is not capable of any form of thought. Instead, he is filled with confusion. He vaguely recognises this gesture, but its meaning is shrouded by darkness. His head tilts to the side, like a Meowth that stares at a shiny coin.

The flames die in his throat, replaced by a menacing snarl, but his Shadow Claw remains active and ready to strike again. Eis dares not lower his offered limb, to do so would ensure his own demise, he must hold strong and wait. Silently he prays to the Eternal Master of Darkness, pleading for his aid and offering his services in return. Until Primal Red understands and accepts his submission, he cannot heal his wounds, let alone flee for his life.

Everything hinges on this one act. If the Monster is able to recognise his submission, perhaps the Master of cold has a chance to live, if not, then god only knows how much more blood will be spilt.

After what feels like an eternity, the enraged male finally makes a move. His talons return to their normal state, the Ghost energy that encased them dispersed into nothingness, even without it though, they remain deadly weapons. Finally recognising the offered palm to be a gesture of submission, he responds by placing the tips of his talons against the exposed flesh and lightly rakes them across his skin. Accepting his submission and asserting his dominance over him, as the Alpha.

Lifting his foot away from his submissive challenger, the Monster takes a step back and turns towards the frozen duo, of Glalie and Froslass. The hand of Eis drops to the ground with a light thud, through his petrifying fear, his lips curl into what could be interpreted as a smile. "I am safe… For now. She was right, he really is just a feral Pokémon in this form" He thought heavily. Pitch black smoke leaks out from his wounds, a visible sign that his wounds are healing. "I must be careful, just because he has accepted my submission; it doesn't mean he won't turn on me at any time. Next time I might not be so lucky… I need my sword; with it he won't be able to follow me when I flee"

Red's demonic snarl becomes focused on both the Ice types, fire burns around his wrist, coiling its way around his clenched fist. Before his Fire Punch can be put to use against either of them, the conniving Ghost type bows her head and raises her thin veil like arm high. _"I submit to you, my Alpha"_ She whispered, holding back her usual venomous tones. Following her lead, Glalie drops face first into the ground, submitting as best he can.

A final puff of smoke filters from Eis' now healed body and repaired armour, leaving him looking like that first and last strike never happened. However, he remains still, lying in a pool of his own blood, thinking of his greatest failure to date… One that allowed this day to come to pass. "One mistake. One mother fucking mistake was enough for me to lose everything… I lost everything, while you became a Monster. One powerful enough to erase me in a heartbeat" He thought bitterly, while grinding his teeth and clenching his fist. Deciding now is not the time to ponder the past; he focuses his attention onto the predator as he accepts Froslass and Glalie's submission and tries to think of a way out of this… Situation.

When humans draw out their deepest powers, their bodies are transformed. They enter their Burst form. The power of the Burst enhances the body, both making it significantly stronger and far more durable, as well as drawing out its typing to the surface. In Eis' case, it is the Ice element, but with Red it is obviously Fire. It is this typing that enhances the senses to a razor's edge… But Red has been blinded by his own fire, it's too strong for him to control. That can only mean his Aura is seeing for him, through Aura Vision… He still has the use of his skills and abilities. That is bad. Very bad.

"He's… He's far more dangerous than I first thought" Eis thought, his trembling fear once again returning. "He's… He's very strong, b-but he's not unbeatable"

He is like a feral Pokémon in this form, acting without conscious thought or desire, only on the instinct to kill and destroy. That is why he accepted the submission, if he had any memory of himself, of Eis, of the war that they have been fighting ever since they first met, he would never have stopped. Not until Eis laid dead at his feet. He is even less than a feral Pokémon, they at least have memories.

That is Eis' one advantage. Perhaps his only means of survival, should the predatory Monster turn on him again. "His heart. If I hit him in the heart, I may be able to weaken him enough to give myself the chance to run. I just need my sword, then I can run" He thought, with a glimmer of hope in his eye.

 _Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!_

Joy filled squeaks reverberate through the air, both breaking Eis' trail of thought and drawing in his undivided attention. Perhaps the boy has finally noticed the infant Gible. Just what will he do with an infant? Kill it perhaps, crush it under his heel or kick it over the edge. Whatever the answer, it is of no concern to Eis or his servants. Still, the hollow hearted Ghost type silently gasps at the sight she sees, it is one she had not anticipated. _"I… I don't believe my eyes"_

The embodiment of pure rage, the creature that struck down a Fear Master with nothing more than a single strike, now kneels on all fours before the infant Chomp. What was once a dark rage filled snarl, that pushed its way through a mouth full of sharp fangs, is now a gentle reassuring throaty growl. Although his body is surrounded by the epitome of furry, no aggression can be found in him nudging his face into Chomp, making him squeak gleefully and place his tiny hands onto his warm cheeks.

" _He knows you're a baby…"_ Froslass thought, unable to remove her eyes from the baffling sight before her. _"Master was right; you do care deeply for younglings. The instinct to protect them must still be there, hidden in the bloodlust and aggression… Oh little one, you've just given me the perfect escape plan"_ A dark sadistic grin falls across her veil like face, as the final thought passed through her mind.

" _Master, I have a plan!"_ Froslass thought, sending her words to the mind of Eis.

"For your sake, it had better be good" He mentally growled back. "He can't fucking understand any language. You better keep that in mind, unless you want me to feed you to him"

" _Have you no faith in me Master?"_ Said the Ice/Ghost type, bowing her head low to him. _"He may not have the capacity to understand the Kantonian tongue, but we don't need him to understand our words, only the little one's cries. He has incredible power, that fact cannot be disputed, but without guiding intelligence and proper eyesight, it's all wasted"_

"Are you suggesting we turn his power against him?"

" _No, I suggest we use his instincts against him. If I take the little one far over the edge, and make him squeal and cry like a stuck Tepig-"_ Her message is ended before it can be completed, broken by a powerful roar echoing throughout the city. Not only breaking their conversation, but ending the moment of joy for Chomp and alerting Primal Red to the presence of another, perhaps more powerful opponent.

Taking the Monster's momentary distraction as a chance to stand, Eis' body once again becomes shapeless smoke, silently rising up and reforming into his flesh and bone form. This new vantage point gives him the standing to see that which roared, distracting Primal Red and giving him the chance to regain some dignity. The battle between the dragons of the Fire and Ground elements has recommenced, with far greater ferocity than before. Surprising, the wounds Charizard sustained from their last brawl should have kept him down for longer than they did.

"It matters not" Eis thought dismissively. "Soon they'll both be dead"

Primal Red's lips curl into his gums as he snarls at his newest challengers, he abandons the playful Dragonling and retakes his domineering stance on his strong legs. Within seconds the eyes of Aura that explore the world in place of his orbs of sight, reveal an empty meaningless void of darkness and death. Broken only by continuous pulses of red light, as well as the dots of life that they reveal. Somehow there are still survivors, people and Pokémon who have managed to escape the blades of the Paladins, who have survived the carnage of war… For now. One by one the lights of life are snuffed out by the void of darkness, growing fewer and fewer with every passing second.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Invincible Monster of the Forest roared at the top of his lungs, expelling as much ash filled air as he can, drowning out the sounds of the fighting and the burning of innocent flesh.

"AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!" Eis screeched, dropping to his knees and desperately clutching his ears, in a vain attempt to block out the pain which now crushes his skull. "WHAT IS THIS?!" He wailed, before collapsing completely, unable to move through the pain.

The floating ore of obsidian known as Glalie drops to the ground like a led weight, like his Master he too is in intense pain, unable to do more than writhe in agony. _"MAKE IT STOP!"_ He cried out. Even little Chomp writhes around, crying out with tears streaming down his tiny face, apparently in just as much pain as the adults.

Froslass remains floating above the ground, unaffected by the primal roar of Red. Her hollow and empty eyes momentarily focus on her Master, before shifting onto the source of his pain. The gears of her twisted mind begin to turn; she recognises that attack. _"That's Hyper Voice"_ She said, her voice easily drowned out by the power of Primal Red's. _"Baffling… He can't be using that move on purpose. His voice is far too explosive; there is no focus to it. It's like a bomb, when it should be a bullet… There's only one conclusion, his voice is simply powerful enough to become a Hyper Voice… Astonishing"_

Hidden deep within the Monster's roar is a message, a threat, one that goes unheeded by most… Because they fail to listen.

Submit or die.

* * *

Garchomp coughs up a mouthful of blood, as she struggles to regain the strength to crawl away from the epitome of bloodlust. Her broken body struggles to heal from so many deep and lasting wounds, faint strings of smoke filter from the nine inch gashes down either side of her spine. Charizard's last Dragon Claw went deep. Perhaps too deep. _"S-son of a bitch"_ She weakly growled, as her eyes fell shut.

The titian of Fire watches with sadistic pleasure, as Garchomp struggles to make even the slightest of movements. Evil manifests across his scaled face in the form of a dark grin, his aggressive nature and lust for blood have driven him to kill countless opponents in battle throughout his life. Very few battles he has fought have ended in anything less than death. This battle should have been no different, possessed or not, she should be lying in pieces at his feet. But Red put a stop to it, to battle's natural course, when he discovered she was possessed and not in control of her actions.

Never has he understood Red's desire to protect those who have been possessed, they fight and die the same as any other opponent, so why bother protecting them? The answer has eluded him for years and it will not be found tonight, it doesn't matter anymore. Nothing will stop him from ending her life tonight.

The glowing crimson eye of Charizard fixes onto her exposed neck, it is by far her weakest point, all it would take is a single twist and she will die… But where's the fun in that?

Simple killing won't be enough though, not to satisfy the bloodlust that flows through his Connection with Red. No. Her death must be slow, painful, humiliating. He must bathe in her blood and feast on her flesh, completing a symphony of death.

But first there is something else he must do, someone who desires his allegiance. _"You are the Alpha, Boss"_ He growled, turning his eye to the tower tip and away from his prey. _"Kill Eis. Destroy that mother fucker"_

" _I… I won't… Won't fail my Master"_ Garchomp weakly growled, snatching Charizard's focus back. _"I'll… I'll kill you"_

Drawing yet another grin that would make a sadist cringe, he stamps his foot down onto her healing, but still shredded back and grinds his talons into the wounds, earning a whimper of pain. _"Music to my ears"_ He growled. _"No. You had your chance to kill me, but you chose to screw around with a chicken instead. Now you're at_ _my_ _mercy, and I don't give mercy to no fucker"_ Tightly wrapping his tail around her throat, he cuts her supply of oxygen in half and lifts her from the pool of black blood in which she lies.

The inverted black and gold eyes of Garchomp stare into the glowing crimson orb in her target's skull. No remorse gleams in its surface, no guilt, no pity and no regret. Only the thirst for blood. _"M-Master… Will… Master will… K-kill you all"_ She rasped, lacking the strength needed to resist his seemingly endless supply of strength. _"You'll… You'll see… E-Eis… Isn't t-the… Only Fear Master"_

Her words are cut short by the tightening of Charizard's tail, making it impossible for her to draw breath. No matter, so long as she remains under Eis' control, she'll survive even without air.

" _I'ma break you bitch"_ Charizard snarled. With the precision of an expert sniper, the dragon of Fire hurls his helpless victim into the rubble of yet another fallen building. A cloud of dust rises from the point of impact, creating a veil so thick, the eye cannot see through it. No veil, no matter how thick or strong, can hide her gargled screams. From anyone.

The manifestation of evil remains fixed across Charizard's face, fed by the gargled screams of pain and pleas for mercy, but not sated by them. Sound alone isn't enough; he must watch the light leave her eyes as the last drops of blood are drained from her broken body. A single flap of his wings is enough to clear the field of dust, revealing a sight that sends shivers down his spine.

Three twisted steel rods protrude from Garchomp's mangled body, soaked in her now crimson blood. The rods once strengthened the concrete wall, but now they hold a fatally wounded Dragoness prisoner, killing her slowly.

The purpose of this building will forever remain a mystery, as will most of this city. Just twenty four hours ago it was filled with life; its people and Pokémon were living their lives, blissfully unaware that they were destined to be slaughtered for the glory of the Eternal Master of Darkness. But now is not the time for such thoughts, now is the time of pain and death, now is the time of the Invincible Monster of the Forest.

Blood falls freely from Garchomp's jaws, making her cries of pain become inaudible gargles. Her body trembles from the pain and the shock of her injuries, many of her bones are broken and most of her vital organs have been badly damaged, somehow her heart continues to beat, but it grows weaker and weaker by the second… Without the Darkness flowing through her veins, she cannot heal from injuries like these.

" _Help… P-please help me"_ She gargled, while holding her claw out to Charizard. He may have been the one to put her in this state, but now he's the only hope she has left. Her shimmering eyes silently beg for her enemy's help, stirring pity in even the blackest of hearts.

" _Oh I'll help you"_ Charizard growled with dark pleasure. His claws grip two of the steel rods that protrude from her torso, the heat from her blood still there to greet him. The metal yields to his borrowed strength without even the slightest issue, bending over her chest and removing any hope she had to live. _"HELP YOU_ _ **DIE!**_ _"_

With a roar befitting a banshee rather than a bloodlust riddled dragon, he slashes his claws into the tender flesh of her exposed belly. Rending flesh from bone effortlessly, every blood curdling swing drains the blood of an innocent mother from her flesh, to run like a river beneath his feet. Strips of Dragon flesh fly off in all directions, carrying ribbon like florets of blood. Surprisingly, Garchomp feels no pain.

For the first time since Darkness found its place in this city her mind and actions are her own again, and yet all she can do is feel fear. Not for herself or of her fate, that has been decided and nothing can change that now, but what of her baby? What will happen to him without her? His father doesn't even know he exists; she's all he has in the world… After she's gone, what'll happen to him? Who'll take care of him? Who'll protect him? Who'll make sure he grows up safe and loved? Her thoughts dominate her mind so fiercely, that she loses the sensation throughout her dying body. She doesn't even notice the blood her mouth expels, as quickly as her executioner guts her.

Stripping away the final layer of protective flesh away, Charizard's bare claws boor their way into her soft and vulnerable organs. Before long his eye catches sight of his prize, his delicious _fleshy_ prize. Her liver.

The blood drunk Fire type's claws shred faster than the eye can see, leaving only a crimson blur of blood in their wake. Within seconds the organs that keep Garchomp alive fall the dust covered ground, soaking in her blood and the rubble. With the savagery of an apex predator, Charizard's fangs tear through the pile of food at his feet, devouring as much of it as quickly as possible.

The heart of the Dragoness continues to beat in her hollowed out body, but with so little blood left to pump, it can only function for so long. Black smoke leaks through her jaws faster than her own blood, freeing her from the Darkness that held her prisoner and allowing the gold of her irises to return, surrounded by their usual black sheen… How ironic, she regains her body and soul, at the moment she loses her life.

Swallowing the last chunk of his food, Charizard licks his lips and examines his living carcass' body. The life is leaving her body fast, her scales grow paler by the second, she may not have much time left, but she's still alive. _"Good. I haven't missed the best part"_ He growled, with a demonic grin across his evil face. His eye locks onto his final target, her beating heart.

Time should be slowing down for Garchomp, as she watches the Dragon Claw be raised over her chest. She should be afraid, he's finally going for the kill now… But it doesn't and she isn't. She simply finds herself longing for the sweet embrace of death, for the release that Yveltal brings when he comes for mortal souls.

" _Mew… Arceus… Please, protect Chomp for me. Make sure he's raised by someone who'll love him the way he deserves to be… And please forgive me, for the sins I have committed tonight"_ She prayed, before shutting her eyes and waiting for the final blow.

She wants to die with dignity? Not a chance.

Her eyes open and her pupils contract, as the ghostly green claws split her flesh apart and shatter her ribs, tearing open a pathway to her heart. While this happens, his free hand snatches her jaw and wrenches it open wide, leaving her mouth vulnerable and exposed. With yet another demented roar, the apex predator rips the powerful pump, that is Garchomp's heart, clean out of her body. _"No one Mega Evolves before me and gets away with it"_ He snarled with the no longer beating heart in the palm of his hand. _"And no one calls my Mama and a bitch and dies peacefully! MAMA'S A MOTHER FUCKING_ _ **ANGEL!**_ _"_

Evil gleams in the Dragon of Fire's eye, evil that that fits his cruel streak and aggressive nature like a glove; it could belong to either him or be borrowed from Red through their Connection. There's no way of knowing.

" _DDDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ALREADY!"_ With that final blood curdling roar, Charizard forces Garchomp's own heart into her mouth. Even if she had the strength to fight back, she wouldn't. Her time has come and all she wants is to feel the peace of the grave. The fully evolved Fire starter pushes the organ deep down her throat, splitting her oesophagus with the sheer size of his fist in the process. Finding the perfect point to release his hold, Charizard rips his arm free from her mouth, leaving her to choke on her own heart.

Garchomp's eyes are glassy and unseeing; the spark of light that is her soul is lost. The young mother was turned into Eis' puppet, used to fight and kill anything the Fear Master chose… And now her life has come to an end. Lying dead against the remains of a building, impaled upon that which gave it strength. Her body will lie here, to be devoured by any surviving scavengers once the dust of battle has settled.

" _Mother fucking shit. I missed the best part"_ He snarled in frustration. He wanted to watch the light leave her eyes and watch Yveltal pluck her soul from her earthly body.

Taking a step back, he examines his handy work with an eager eye. _"Wow… I really fucked you up bitch"_ Yet somehow it's not enough, not enough to satisfy his bloodlust. _"I need more. There's gotta be something else I can maul"_

The demonic grin across his face broadens as an evil idea bursts into his warped mind. _"Blaziken. That mother fucker called me weak, I'ma show him how 'weak' I fuckin' am!"_

Scanning the bloody remains of the battlefield for traces of red and cream coloured feathers, his eye is drawn to the Barrier above. A brilliant beam of red light sails through the empty void of ash, burning through it like a Flamethrower through a sheet of steel. Where it is headed is a mystery, but one thing is certain.

Red is the one who fired it.

For a moment the great dragon silently stares up at the beam, impressed by the power behind it, but not surprised in the slightest. _"Why're you holding back Boss? You've got lots more power in ya, why aren't ya using it?"_ He thought aloud.

" _I think the_ _real_ _question is… What kind of diet did Maw Maw put you on?! You're so_ _fat!_ _"_

" _What the fuck?!"_ Charizard growled, catching a glimpse of yellow from the corner of his eye.

" _Hehehehehe, catch me if you can Fat Ass!"_ A speeding blur of yellow taunted, boldly running past Charizard's field of vision. _"I see London, I see France, I see Charizard's_ _fat ass!_ _"_

Feeling a jolt of electricity shock his rump, the overweight dragon snorts out black smoke. _"I fucking know that voice. YOU LITTLE SHIT! I'LL FUCKING EAT YOU_ _ALIVE!_ _"_

A second blur of yellow darts past the dragon's field of vision, this time moving in the opposite direction to the first. _"Whoa! Easy there big guy, you're fat enough already. You don't need all this raw awesomeness in your belly too. Hehehehehe"_ It snickered.

" _I'LL FUCKING ROAST YOU ALIVE!"_ Charizard snarled, as he turned on the spot, just in time to see the blur of yellow leap up at him. A mischievous smirk plastered across its furry face, with crackles of electricity sparking from his red dimple like cheeks.

" _Night night Charizard!"_ The Pikachu cried out, as he swung his lightning bolt shaped, armour covered, tail through the air. _"SWEET DREAMS_ _FAT ASS!_ _"_ He cried out, as he slammed his electrified Iron Tail into Charizard's skull.

Paralytic energy courses through Charizard's skull, dilating his glowing crimson eye. _"Ah shit…"_ He growled, as the Electric energy coursed through his flabby, yet muscular body. Paralysing him, but leaving his mind fully alert.

" _GOD FUCKING DAMN IT PIKACHU! YOU'RE NEXT ON MY KILL LIST!"_ He thought, as he fell to the ground.

Planting his tiny feet between Charizard's scarred back; Pikachu takes a moment to examine his now downed opponent. His powerful wings lie motionless on the ground, as useless as a Magikarp's fins in a powerful ocean current. The flame burning at the end of his tail burns just as brightly, but cannot give its wielder the strength to stand and fight. Not anymore. For all his power, his strength and his determination to keep fighting until the bitter end, Charizard has been left completely powerless and unable to defend himself from even the most simple of attacks.

" _Good fucking god… You got_ _really_ _fat. Jesus, it's only been two years, how could you have gotten so fat?!"_ Pikachu asked, grabbing a roll of useless, disgusting flab between his paws. The downed dragon is able to weakly growl back, but cannot form words in his mouth. _"You were always fat, but… Good lord above! How could you let yourself get_ _this_ _fat?! You've really let yourself go… Starting tomorrow, no more liver for you"_

Detecting the presence of the owner of his Pokéball, who happens to be his trainer and close friend, Pikachu lazily rolls his head to face him. _"Hey Mr Personality! Lookey here at what I found, I think it's Fat Ass. You know,_ _our_ _Fat Ass. Let's see if he is"_ Dropping his head down, to look him in the eye, Pikachu draws a mischievous grin. _"Mama's boy! Mama's boy! Charizard's a Mama's boy! Did Maw Maw give her big baby a kissy goodbye before you left?"_

Unable to do more than growl, Charizard focuses as much energy as he can into snarling like a rabid Mightyena. _"Don't you dare talk about Mama! I swear to god if you try to touch her again, I'll rip your tail off and beat you to death with it!"_ He thought.

Amused by the reaction he received, Pikachu snickers into Charizard's eye for a moment, before standing back up again. _"OK that's him. There ain't no other Charizard with one eye, which is_ _glowing_ _by the way, and is a massive Mama's boy"_

The crimson glow of Charizard's eye does more than intimidate his enemies and signify that he has borrowed Red's power, it allows him to see that which the naked eye cannot. With his tormentor's head out of his line of sight, he can clearly see the armoured, black leather boots of a man, walk up to him. _"Boss was right, you're here. Maybe_ _you_ _can make him kill that mother fucker, 'cause he sure as Hell ain't listnin' to me"_ He thought.

A moment of silence follows the electric mouse's words, broken only by the sounds of battle and explosions across the city. It seems his trainer feels no need to speak. _"Looks like my Thunder Wave, Iron tail combo took him down good; we got hours until it wears off… So… If he's here, then Red can't be far away. I guess you were right Fang, that glowing thing up there is Red"_

" _We don't know that for certain Pikachu, it could easily be an imposter"_ A new voice growled, but one that the overgrown lizard recognises all the same. _"Master, we don't have much time. Whoever it is up there, they're clearly not in control over their power. And they've begun their attack. If you are serious about saving that girl, then you must do it soon"_

" _You're both_ _way_ _too paranoid, that guy's gotta be Red. Who else is dumb enough to try and fight Eis? I wonder what his beard looks like, now it's gone red. Hehehehe"_ Pikachu snickered, standing atop Charizard's back. A large black and grey wolf like Pokémon, with a set of naturally crimson eyes, razor sharp fangs and a set of steel plate armor that wraps around his neck, like a collar, circles the fallen dragon. Watching the edges of the battlefield like a hawk. _"You talkin' about the blonde chick? The one who tried ta kill Fang, the one you put on her ass with a busted nose?"_

" _Yes. The girl who was saved by our fallen brother and sister"_ Mightyena growled back, answering in his trainer's place. _"Don't call me Fang. My name is Mightyena, use it"_

While the two animalistic Pokémon talk, the man standing before Charizard makes no form of movement whatsoever, he remains perfectly still and silent. "Enough" He said simply, his voice carrying steel. "Charizard has been beaten. Decidueye. We move now"

With those simple words, the man who is affectionately referred to as 'Mr Personality' by his Electric type, turns away from the three Pokémon and walks out into the battlefield again. Carrying himself as though he is alone in this war zone, that the fighting going on cannot harm him. Following his lead, the Bite Pokémon returns to the battle, searching for his next opponent.

" _Looks like it's just me and you Fat Ass"_ Pikachu said, patting the paralysed dragon's back. _"How's Maw Maw doing? She still got that fine ass I love so much?"_ He playfully teased, deciding to make the most of his time before the paralysis wears off, and Charizard reaps what will undoubtedly be a horrible vengeance, judging by the ferocity of his snarls. _"Hehehe. You're way too easy to screw with Charizard, I ain't tappin' Maw Maw's ass… Red'd never let me touch his Mama and you know it. Hehehe"_ The suicidal mouse snickered. _"What a day… Red's gone Super Saiyan and is on a killing spree, and you've been mauling something defenceless and innocent… Is it Wednesday already?"_

* * *

A set of emerald eyes open a crack, giving their owner a blurred view into the smoke filled world before her. Whether Lily's vision is blurred from the indescribably pain she feels all across her body, the fatigue that has swallowed her so fiercely that she can barely draw breath, or perhaps the smoke and ash that fill the air. It doesn't matter. She's simply too exhausted to care.

While she cannot distinguish the cloudy images before her, colours remain vibrant and detectable. The combination of brightest crimson, yellow and cream that lie before her, can only belong to one person. "B-Blaziken?" She thought. Lying beside her starter, is a mixture of blue, green and a blob of pink. "Chatot?"

Moving in edge of her narrow field of vision, a figure dressed solely in black draws close. A gleam of light reflects from the weapon in his hand, drawing in the eye of the Apprentice. "W-who?…" She weakly muttered, unable to finish her sentence.

The figure standing at her side says nothing, remaining as silent as the grave, while raising his blade through the air. A pair of midnight blue eyes shine from the mysterious figure's face, fixed on the chains that hold the heroine, who risked everything to try and save her brother and failed. Reflecting a sparkle of the light of his sharp eyes, the weapon he holds is revealed to be a sword, similar to the ones Red carried when this battle began. Unlike his though, this man's blade is real and not forged from Aura.

" _Master, we don't have time to waste. We must cut her down before he she's killed"_ The wolf like Pokémon growled, appearing beside his Master, seemingly from thin air. _"Although… The resemblance is… Disturbingly similar to what was described to us"_

Matching the glow of his eyes, the blade in his grasp gains a shining midnight blue glow, vaguely resembling the blade that Serena was loaned when the sun was blocked out by Darkness and the streets ran red with blood. With a single slash of his weapon, the chains that bind the young Mage are broken, dissolving into smoke and returning from whence they came.

Dropping to the ground like a Golem dropped from the sky, young Lily's lungs draw in the deepest breath they can muster, flooding her dying body with burning hot ashes. What little energy she managed to muster is stolen from her by the pain, her eyes fall shut, leaving her trapped in her own lonely world of darkness. Just like the one her brother visited, when he felt the sting of the chains. Similarly to him, she too feels her heart beat slow, counting down the number of beats it has left.

The glowing eyes of the figure fade back into the shadows, as does the hue surrounding his weapon. Without their light he might as well be invisible in this battlefield, standing amidst the chaos, but seen by no one. He presses a single finger into the exposed neck of Lily Ketchum, picking up the faint pulse of life, which grows weaker with every passing moment.

" _She's alive, but only just. Master, she'll need your help is she's goanna survive"_ Mightyena growled, as the figure pulled his hand away from her neck and onto her back. Blue pulses expand from his hand, running across her body and into her core. _"Be grateful girl, you were_ _very_ _lucky that Eis spared your life tonight"_

"Our brother and sister in arms gave their lives for yours" The figure whispered, loud enough for her and only her to hear. "Risking your life in a pointless battle is a pretty shit way to repay them. Don't waste the gift you have been given tonight" He concluded, lifting his hand away from her.

The life giving pulses of Aura have done their duty, restoring a slither of her life force and strength, giving her everything she needs to keep her heart beating. "T-thanks…" She whispered, before drifting off into her subconscious, not caring who saved her life.

" _Well said Master"_ Mightyena simply said, before turning his eye to the sky. _"Decidueye, it's your turn now"_

Moving silently like a gentle breeze, a rather sleek looking figure glides through the air, to land before those he calls comrades, without making so much as a whisper and barely even disturbing the ashes.

Snow white feathers cover his legs as well as his feet; three talons give him grip across both prey and his targets. Hanging from both his wings and nape of his neck, is a large cape like stream of beige feathers that dust the ground and he walks. A hood formed from deep green feathers casts a shadow over his dull orange and dark blue face and knowing orange eyes, a white feather tipped with orange protrudes from the tip of this hood like garment. Across his chest, an x shaped cluster of feathers, tie his outfit like appearance together. Unlike the other Pokémon whose allegiance is to the Knights, this one does not wear armor.

" _You summoned me"_ He said, his voice sounding like a whisper from a forgotten time. _"What is it you want?"_

Stepping forward and gently nudging the unconscious girl at his feet, Mightyena looks his friend in the eye, seeing through the shadows that cover his eyes effortlessly. _"Decidueye, thanks for coming. We need you to take this girl far away from here; if she stays she'll be killed"_

Tilting his head down, the Grass starter of Alola contemplates the request that has been made of him. _"There aren't many places here that anyone could consider safe; I hope you have thought this through younglings"_

" _We have. Take her to the park; it's the only place left that is even remotely safe. She and another fought bravely to turn it into a sanctuary for the survivors of this war, now_ _she_ _needs it"_ The Dark type said flatly, leaving no room for negotiation. _"If our fears are founded, then you will meet an old friend there"_

" _Blade"_ He responded. _"I know, I have seen him. Heard his pleas to his Master, begging him not to transform"_

" _Then you know how dangerous he has become. I don't need to tell you that Blade is easily the most dangerous of the three, obeying any order Red gave him before the transformation. Charizard's fate is a simple and predictable one, he becomes swallowed by the evil in his and Red's hearts and is driven to kill anything and everything he sees"_ Mightyena stated, in an attempt to control the streak of fear that threatens to turn his fur white. _"There is no explaining Red's behaviour, he acts without thought or rational behaviour, obeying only his instinct to dominate and destroy… But Blade, he is another story"_

A glorious blue stream of Dragon energy tears through the city around them, birthing several explosions and fires in its place. The owl like Pokémon turns his eye to watch the remnants of the Dragon Pulse fade, silently watching the flames end the lives of even more innocent people and Pokémon. _"His move pool has expanded. Red wasn't been able to use Dragon Pulse before. There isn't enough time Mightyena, I must go now"_

The wolf like Pokémon agrees, before turning to his silent Master and seeing the body of a Sentinel lying behind him, with its throat sliced open from ear to ear.

"Go. Fly low, wait for the right moment and go" He simply said, his blade dripping with blood.

" _Well said"_ Decidueye stated, before scooping the young Mage up in his talons and silently taking to the air. _"Go now, I will play my part in this battle, but there is more for you to do, youngling. He is your friend; it is up to you to bring him back from the Darkness"_

* * *

" _It has begun. The purge has begun"_ Blade said, his voice sounding cold and sterile, like that of a machine rather than a living creature. The fiery barrier that burned around the perimeter of the sanctuary has at long last burned itself out, leaving only blackened ashes and charred earth to serve as a reminder that it was ever there. Without the smoke it cast through the air, Blade can finally see out into what might be called the sky and watch the flames rise into the air, the way one would watch a fireworks display. _"All threats to our new Clan must be eliminated, if they do not submit to you, then they are our enemies and must die"_

Turning his head to look over his shoulder with a single burning crimson eye, his gaze falls upon those he is charged with protecting, as they help Lucario back to his feet again. _"No matter who they are… But… You ordered me to remain on guard duty, to protect them no matter what. All of them"_ Confliction rises upon his stern and disciplined face; he does not know what to do.

Turning away from the issue at hand, he returns his gaze to his Master, pondering the dilemma he now finds himself in. Paying no mind to those who stand in the sanctuary with him, or the questions they bombard their elder with. _"I do not have time for your petty squabbles, I must obey my Master, but how can I follow conflicting orders?"_

The aging Fighting/Steel type, known simply as Lucario, is barely able to stand through the fatigue that now crushes down on him. It's almost as though the centre of gravity has shifted to his knees, forcing them to buckle and threaten to give out under his own weight. As if the physical strain on his body is not enough, his mind is filled with the seemingly endless list of questions thrown his way by Delia, Clemont and even Bonnie. There is not even a single aspect of this elderly man, that doesn't hurt in some way or another. _"I'm too old for this crap"_ He mumbled, while forming his Bone Rush walking stick in his paws, alleviating one of his problems and easing his pain. _"Calm down, all of you calm down. I'm fine. I appreciate your concern, but please, you're giving me a headache and I need a moment to think"_ He snarled, in pain.

"B-but Lucario, I need to know where Lily is. I need to go and get my baby girl" Delia pleaded, tears streaming down her swollen, ash covered face. "Please Lucario; just tell me where she is"

Tears shimmer in Serena's eyes and dampen her cheeks; her heart goes out to the mother as she too feels the same pain. Being here, where it is relatively safe, while her loved ones venture out into the Darkness and risk their lives to protect her, stabs her heart like a thousand knives of fire. But there's nothing she can do, she hasn't been trained to fight yet and would only get in their way had she followed them. "Red… I wish you were here. I wish you could hold me tight" She thought solemnly, with a matching frown.

As if responding to her silent thoughts, a gleam of red light shines from the corner of her eye. Turning to face it, she sees the opaque blade that was entrusted to her, by the very man she so desperately wants to see again. Without uttering a single syllable, she wraps her slender fingers around the weapon's black hilt and raises it from the earth. Heat surges through her fingers the moment her flesh connects with it, not so much that she has to relinquish her hold over it, but enough to bring a sense of comfort and security to her aching heart. It almost feels like she's holding a part of her crush's body in her hands. Yet another tear falls from her eyes as she gazes into the ghost like flames that rise from the weapon in her hands, accompanying this tear is a faint smile, a smile that is filled with hope.

"Please Red… Kill him. Kill him and come back to me" She thought.

" _Submit"_ The Aura canine thought. _"Blade told us to submit, and that it would be our only hope of surviving"_ Turning his gaze to the Warrior Bug, Lucario sees his glowing eyes are fixed on the burning fires above, seemingly lost in thought. _"Blade is our only means of defence; he is both our sword and shield. The transformation has undoubtedly affected him, as it would anyone whom has a Connection to Red's Aura… But just how has he been affected, that is the question"_ Deciding it could be dangerous to disobey Blade, Lucario asks the others to trust him and do as he does for now.

" _I submit to you Red"_ He said aloud, while raising his paw as high into the air as his arthritic shoulder will allow, before glaring sharply at the others, expecting them to do the same. Putting their trust and faith into the elderly Knight, who has lived through more danger than all of them put together, both Delia and Serena each raise a hand as high as they can and repeat his words. Neither the aspiring scientist Clemont or his little sister Bonnie, know Lucario or any of the others well for that matter, but they have still treated them as friends and protected them throughout this ordeal, even promising to reveal secrets to them, should they survive. If either of them has learned anything today, it's that they are ignorant. There are forces in this world that they had no idea existed, things they don't understand, but these people seem to know about them, Hell they've used these same forces to shield them both. Perhaps putting a little faith in them now would be the best thing they can do. Following his lead, both Clemont and Bonnie raise their hands and say the words "I submit".

Watching silently from afar as they unknowingly submit to the Monster's rule as Alpha, the conflict that plagued Blade's mind comes to an end. He was ordered to protect the survivors who made their way to this sanctuary, to protect his Master's family with his life, and now he can without contradicting his new orders. _"My duty is once again clear. Protect all who submit to Master and kill all those who do not"_ He said coldly, before raising his pincer high above his head and calling out into the darkness. _"I submit to you Master, you are my Alpha"_

* * *

Lingering threads of purest Aura rise from the jaws of the Invincible Monster of the Forest, drowned out by the natural glow that surrounds his empowered form, but standing out to the trained eye. They're remnants from the last blast of Aura to be launched from his jaws, shreds that were caught by his fangs and pulled from the whole; now useless they rise like an ember, to dissipate into nothingness. Through his eyes of Aura he sees the empty, meaningless void outstretched before him, despite his relentless assault across this tiny slice of the world, there are still a few lingering dots of life spread out across it, trying their best to hide from the Monster that is determined to erase them from existence.

A river of innocent blood runs under his feet tonight, staining both his body and his already tattered soul forever. Even before the forced transformation, his soul was by no measure pure or free from stains, the evil he has committed throughout his short life has already blackened the one part of him that is eternal. Some believe that killing an innocent creature, for any reason besides survival, stains the soul for all eternity. But this is not the case. There are times when ending the life of an innocent does not harm the soul, such cases are rare by any means, but they occur. Mercy. When taking life from another is the kindest thing that can be done for them, when it spares them pain, humiliation or grants them peace, then the soul is not harmed by their passing.

Primal Red's eyes hold no mercy, no compassion and no remorse. Every life he ends stains his soul even further, tearing at it and leaving it raw. And yet he continues to kill, to destroy any who fail to bow before him, declaring their submission for all to see.

A blue ball of Dragon energy forms in the palm of his hand, perfectly formed and filled with power from his seemingly bottomless well. With a demonic roar of rage, he fires his Dragon Pulse out at the nearest dot of life that made the fatal mistake of hiding, rather than submitting. The blood stained ruins explode into a flurry of fire, concrete and Dragon energy, drowning out the cries and pleas of the dead and dying.

Innocent people and Pokémon, Paladin drones and Paladin Pokémon. None of them can do anything to stand against what they thought was a fallen angel, come to wipe out the Darkness and save them from the talons of Yveltal, all they can do is deal with their impending death in their own way. Families huddle together, enjoying their final moments on this earth together, feeling the warmth from each other's loving touch… Before being erased by a blast of brilliant red light, leaving no trace they were even there. Those who lack the bravery to accept their fate try to run from the blue eyes and red feathers of death incarnate, before being destroyed by yet another of the Monster's attacks. Some souls have true courage in their hearts, standing up and facing death head on, rather than trying to run and hide from it, like cowards. They stare up at the one who they pinned their hopes on and placed their trust in, before being enveloped by a black beam with a purple hue, and departing from this world forever.

Using a combination of long range moves ranging from Dragon Pulse, Hyper Beam, Fire Blast, Overheat, Dark Pulse to Aura Waves, the creature of legend quickly wipes out what was left of this once beautiful city, taking away the last of her people and Pokémon, sparing only those who were forewarned of his coming and knew to submit.

Red Ketchum may have no conscious control over his body, over his actions and desires, but the fact remains the same. Innocent blood is on his hands, and it will never come clean.

"(Stop this senseless killing. Now)" A strong voice commanded, from inside the unstoppable Monster's head. "(Stop screwing around. You have the power to kill Eis. Use it)"

These words go unheard by the Monster that is Primal Red; his instincts don't understand or recognise the Kantonian tongue. However, they can understand something else within the Aura Message, a hidden meaning masked by words. A desire forms in his head, planted there by the one who knows him in this form, who knows how to aim him towards a single goal. The desire grows stronger, compelling him to fulfil it, as though it were a need.

The desire to end the life of Eis.

Standing as far from the Monster as they can within this confined space, Eis, Glalie and Froslass remain as silent as the grave, determined not to make even the faintest of sounds. While too afraid of the Monster they have unleashed, to make even the smallest of movements. A faint luminous blue glow surrounds Chomp, keeping him silent and still in the air at Froslass' side, whose eyes glow a matching shade of blue. With the child firmly in her mental grasp, the Ice/Ghost type floats ready to act on her plan, at the first opportunity. _"When the time is right little one, you will be the ticket my Master needs to escape"_ She thought with an expressionless look across her face.

A demonic snarl ends her thoughts, passing through the lips of what could easily be the most powerful Knight Apprentice alive. Primal Red turns his furry filled gaze from the smouldering remains of the now dead city, to one of his greatest enemies. He may be able to speak while in this form, but his eyes and snarl speak far louder than any words ever could.

"I'm going to kill you"

The arctic ice that is the heart of Eis beats far harder and faster than it has for decades. As would anyone's, should they ever find themselves staring into the empty, and yet burning, eye of the Left hand of God. "I'm… I'm dead" He said, his tongue pushing words without an order from his twisted mind.

Sensing the impending battle, both Glalie and Froslass flee from the relative security of the tower, taking the baby with them. Neither one looks back at their Master, to do so would waste precious time and energy. They simply run through the air, until they reach what they feel is a safe distance and turn back, to watch the battle between the Master and the Monster. _"This'll be good"_ Glalie gleefully said, earning him a death glare from his mate.

He knows he must retreat, to run from this Monster, if he stands and fights he'll be destroyed without a doubt. But if he tries to run, Primal Red will simply chase him down and tear him apart, like a Mareep for slaughter. No matter what he chooses to do, Eis will be the target of this ungodly monstrosity… He has no choice; there is only the one option left. "I must return to my Master's side, I must return to the bowls of Hell, I must run away. But to run from you, it seems I must first stand and fight"

"And so, our battle…" Scrapping the barrel of his twisted heart for even the smallest shred of courage, the Fear Master of Ice creates a weapon in his hand, one forged from the ice inside his blackened soul. A four foot long spear. "BEGINS ANEW!" He screeched, hurling the only weapon he has left through the air, and into his opponent.

The tip of this frozen weapon glides through the Aura forged steel that shields the Monster's chest, puncturing his flesh and splitting his bones. It was thrown with enough force to protrude through his back.

Spilling the blood of the living incarnation of rage is never a good idea, but dealing a wound that isn't enough to kill him is an even worse one.

Opening his jaws to roar in pain and furry, bubbling blood rises up his throat and spews out past his bared fangs. The spear went off course, its aim misguided by an eye that lack depth perception, its intended target continues to pump blood through his body, and fill his damaged lung.

A streak of confidence births a matching smirk across Eis' face, that strike wasn't enough to put the Monster down, but it certainly proved one thing. Primal Red has power beyond that of any living thing within this city, but he's _not_ invincible. He can die, just as any other mortal being. It will take a great deal more than just a spear through his lung, but he can be beaten. Making use of his super human speed, Eis dart across the battle field with a tightly formed ball of Water in his hand.

The young, but fierce, Knight doesn't waste even a moment. He grips the colossal icicle embedded in his flesh and pulls it clean out of his torso with a single yank, before tossing it aside. Spilling his own blood even further, both across the steel beneath his feet and over his challenger. Pulses of red Aura run across his body, focusing into the one and only wound across his entire frame, regenerating the tissue of his lung, ribs and finally his outer layers of flesh.

"W-what the fuck?!" Eis stammered, grinding his advance to a halt, not believing what his senses tell him. Primal Red didn't even try to heal his injury; he regenerated naturally, that's not right. Only Fear Masters have the power to regenerate lost limbs, he is many things, but he is no Fear Master. So how did he heal so quickly?

Bursting forwards like a Tauros that was slapped across the ass, Primal Red sprints across the half burned steel, his right hand balled into a fire coated fist. A single second. For a single second Eis remains motionless, stunned into submission by the overwhelming power that undoubtedly courses through his enemy's veins. But that is all it takes, for the Monster's Fire Punch to turn his readied Water Pulse into steam and slam into his chest, burning through his armour, robes and shattering his ribs.

Pushing himself past the indescribably pain from his injury, Eis turns his body to smoke and travels across the battlefield, attempting to reform behind the exposed back of Primal Red. Just as the Master makes his move to attack, so does the Monster. Turning on his heel, he swings his fire covered foot out to strike. His sizzling Blaze Kick strikes Eis across face, at the moment he reforms into a solid mass.

The power behind the Super Effective strike is enough to send Eis flying across the confined space of the battlefield, his armor screeches across the steel, leaving deep scratches across its blackened surface. Clutching his burned and bleeding cheek, the Master jumps to his feet and glares daggers at the creature that struck him. The harsh truth has been made painfully clear tonight, one blow was more enough to make it obvious, but now he has taken two; there can be no denying the truth.

He's simply not strong enough to face Red in battle; the difference in power is far too great to be overcome with any amount of skill and determination. Primal Red is in a league of his own here, there is nothing and no one who can stand against him, and live.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood and shattered teeth, he charges forwards in a Quick Attack, and runs past the Monster. He knows he has made a fatal mistake tonight, Hell he has made countless mistakes tonight. He had the chance to run while Red was stunned by the ice, but instead of running, he let his pride go to his head. Again.

Luck may have saved him from the brunt of that last attack, having caught it at the end of its journey rather than the start, had he taken it at its full power, there is no doubt he would be down for the count. But he can't rely on luck again, that is a plan of the foolish. "I can't afford to make another mistake" He thought aloud, narrowly avoiding yet another Blaze Kick from Primal Red. "I need my blade in order to run, but I can't fight him to weaken him. I… I need help"

Eis continues to use Quick Attack as a means of evasion, running from side to side of the battlefield, while ducking and weaving out of the way of Primal Red's strikes. He cannot maintain this strategy forever, sooner or later something will give, and he'll either make a mistake or the Knight will land a blow. Unless the Paladin ends it, before the Knight can.

Suddenly, in a bizarre move, Eis changes direction and charges straight towards the Monster. His body dissipating into a smoky mess, before the young male's Dragon Claw could rend flesh from bone, like his first strike did. His strike slices through the air and smoke, but ultimately goes to waste, dealing no damage whatsoever to his prey. The Fear Master solidifies behind what was once Red, digging his heels in the ground; he comes to a stop and raises his hands high, creating a sheet of solid ice between him and Primal Red.

The makeshift shield shatters before the air even has a chance to adjust to the sudden change in temperature, Primal Red rams his head clean through the solid sheet, roaring and bellowing like a wild beast defending its territory. Barely even noticing the impact of the ice against his metal like hair, it has no effect on the flames that rise up his throat, to pool in his mouth. Acting without thought, relying on the memories his muscles carry, Eis drops down low and avoids the fire of the Flamethrower, but not the burn.

Rising like a Diglett from the ground, the feet of the transformed Master once again meet the steel. "HOW?! HOW CAN YOU STILL BE SO MOTHER FUCKING STRONG?!" He screeched, frustrated by his own weakness. Throwing up a protective Barrier, he tries to shield himself from the next attack and give himself a moment to think. "If I can't weaken him, at all, I can't get the time I need to run!… Arg! I have to ask for help" He thought bitterly, while snarling to himself.

Raising his head high, he swallows is pride as a Master, and does something he swore he would never do. "MASTER, HEAR MY PLEA! RETURN ME TO YOUR SIDE; DELIVER ME FROM THIS MESS I HAVE MADE! _PLEASE_ , SEND ANOTHER TO TAKE MY PLACE AND DEFEAT THIS MONSTER!" No response comes to his pleas for aid, there is nothing but the heat from the Monster's renewed Flamethrower, which presses against his flimsy shield. Knowing the Eternal Master of Darkness can hear his voice; Eis attempts to earn his favour again. "MASTER! I AM STILL USEFUL TO YOU; I STILL HAVE POWER TO GIVE YOU! IF I FALL TONIGHT, THEN NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTROL MY CREATION! HE IS FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN EVEN THE BOY, BUT WITHOUT ME HE WILL BURN LIKE A WILD FIRE! UNFOCUSED AND UNCONTROLLED! YOU _NEED_ ME TO CONTROL AND GUIDE HIM!"

His pitiful pleas for mercy ring out into the Barrier above, for what feels like eternity, but in reality is only a moment, he waits for his Master to respond. To send the help he so desperately needs, if he is to survive.

The silence is broken by another ear splitting roar from the Invincible Monster of the Forest, his Flamethrower dies and is replaced by a beam of black, Normal energy. His Hyper Beam tears through Eis' protective Barrier like sugar paper, forcing the Ice type Master to turn to smoke to avoid it. Solidifying back on solid ground again, he takes a moment to catch his breath; this battle is quickly wearing him out. Sweat pours down his skin, freezing solid, before falling off and landing with a slight clink. The Monster will surely need time to recharge after using Hyper Beam, just as any user of the move does, that gives him time to search for his blade… Since his Master has apparently forsaken him, deeming him a lost cause, or perhaps he's simply punishing him for his failure. In the end it doesn't really matter, he's on his own in this fight and he must take every chance he's dealt.

His body is wounded and weakened, that will make searching for the rapier that was given to him by his Master that much harder. But he must push himself even further; no pain no gain as they say. Before he can begin the search, his damaged lungs force down an involuntary breath and his eye dilates in terror. "It's… It's not possible" He breathed, confused. "You're supposed to be recharging!" Yet another attack bursts past the fangs of Primal Red, this time it's an Aura Wave and a strong one at that. It seems he doesn't need to recharge his energy, before attacking again.

Fear blinding his sense of reason and logic, Eis counterattacks without thought of the difference in power, firing his own black Aura Wave back at the Monster. The two mighty waves of Aura and Darkness collide in the centre of this battle ground, momentarily duelling against one another, each attempting to overpower the other, before exploding into a blinding crimson light show, not unlike that of a Dazzling Gleam. Eis covers his one eye, attempting to shield it from the brunt of the light and protect his remaining vision, while his opponent flexes his talons, in preparation for his next strike. Being blind, he has no need to shield his sightless eyes from that which they cannot see. The blinding display of light doesn't last long, in a simple flash it is over.

"What in the glorious name of the Eternal Master is that?" The Master of the artic said, his jaw dropping and revealing his regenerated teeth.

Rising from the steel that was both burned and twisted by the fiercest of fire, growing from the point where the beams collided, a crystalline spire has been born. Spiking out in all directions, while resembling a flame that was frozen as it burned, the crystal glows a matching shade of crimson, to that of Red. Heat radiates from its every inch, the way the move Heat Wave would. It transfixes the eye of Eis.

"Oh… It's… Beautiful" He murmured, unable to remove his eye from its glowing surface.

Slamming his talons, burning with a fire that would rival the bowels of Hell themselves, into the exposed chest of his enemy, Primal Red lifts his vulnerable opponent from the ground, before slamming him back down onto it again. His natural weaponry plunges past the protective bone of Eis' ribcage, to gore the soft and vulnerable lungs they protect. In a single instant, a horrifying howl of agony bursts into existence and is snuffed out by the blood of its bearer. Blood, bubbling from the blood within his shredded oxygen pumps, is all that can pass through the lips of Eis.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Monster that is Primal Red screeched, as the flames across his talons died, their heat extinguished by the blood of his prey. In a bloody blur of pain and rage, the arms of Primal Red smash down onto the exposed and bloody chest of Eis, in a power packed Hammer Arm. The Super Effective strike shatters his bones and ruptures his organs, leaving Eis in more pain than even he can handle.

Blood explodes out from his every extremity, carrying with it the occasional ragged strip of flesh. The pain is so intense; it has stolen the sensation from his broken body and stolen the last shreds of strength he held. He can't even scream anymore, let alone run. Primal Red cares not for his opponent's ability to fight, something that is proven by his continued pummelling of his rapidly flattening torso, what remains of his psyche cannot process complex emotions such as pity or remorse. Only the instinct and desire, to kill.

Blood blacker than Mr Popo from Dragon Ball Z, pools around the fighters, staining their flesh and armor. This battle is as good as over, Eis never really had a chance to win, he is simply too weak. The only chance he had was to run, and he failed to take it when it presented itself to him. Now he pays the price for that failure.

He tried to escape his punishment, tried to call for his Master's aid, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The Eternal Master of Darkness is not merciful, even to his own followers and neither is he forgiving. It seems this was one too many failures for Eis, he pushed Red into a corner, he beat him down and spat in his wounds… Bringing the creature of legend out to the surface, and twisting his own hanging rope in a single act.

"I… Have failed" He thought, shedding a tear.

* * *

The Snow Land Pokémon, whom mythology says is a reincarnated woman, can only watch from afar as the two titans of Fire and Ice each loose a beam of Aura, one a deep and bright shade of crimson, the other an empty void of Darkness. Her Master cannot have much strength left in him, while he has not taken that many hits and barely took any damage before Red transformed, the blows he has taken from this unholy abomination have undoubtedly weakened him beyond measure. That Aura Wave may very well have left him running on vapours. As his loyal servant, it is her duty and honour, to provide aid and guidance wherever and whenever he requires it.

Her glowing blue eye turns to her helpless victim, the little Gible suspended in the air beside her, she had hoped that he would be the key to their eventual escape. But now that plan seems foolish, as it has a fatal flaw, one that she couldn't see until now. She had planned to gain that ignorant buffoon's attention, and then toss the little urchin to his death before his eyes, in the hopes that the instinct to protect younglings was strong enough to make him dive over the edge after it, to try and save it. Giving them the chance to run, without him attacking them first. She allowed fear to cloud her judgement, allowed it to impair her sense of logic, had she remained calm, she would surely have known that it is practically impossible for one as weak as her, to distract Primal Red.

" _It seems I have no use for you, little one"_ She said coldly. _"Goodbye"_ Without even the slightest hint of mercy or remorse, she retracts her Psychic energy back into her mind, freeing Chomp… But letting him fall to his grave. His tiny squeaks of terror stir nothing from her hollow and empty heart, nor do the tears that stream from his eyes. For a moment she watches him fall, before his tiny body is swallowed by the smoke and fire, there can be no doubt as to his fate. _"Just like your mother. Dead"_

While this cold and cruel act frees her mental capabilities, it does not lessen the danger her Master is in, he needs help. She may lack the strength to join him in battle and help fend off this monstrosity, but there is something she can do to help him. _"There is something I can provide…"_ She thought coldly, while turning her eye to that of her Mate, Glalie.

" _Imbecile, go to Master, he needs your help"_ Her voice matching that of her typing yet again. Glalie turns to her, confused, making her sigh out a growl of frustration. _"Just go over there and fight the glowing man, you foolish simpleton"_

" _Ugh… OK"_ He said, his confusion still apparent. He floats through the air, towards the Monster that crushes his Master beneath his Hammer Arms.

Her icy blue eyes follow the floating ore of obsidian, that is her mate, making no other form of movement. _"You were never worthy of being my Mate anyway, you won't be mourned Glalie. I will find someone far better than you, who will give Master his next generation of servants"_

* * *

Fear. The emotion that every living creature, both in this world and throughout the universe, experiences countless times throughout their lifetime. It can easily overwhelm anyone, make them do things they never thought they'd do. When faced with that which they fear, people discover their true nature. Brave men find they're really cowards, kind women discover they're really cruel, honourable Warriors realise they'd crawl over the bodies of the dead to escape their fate. Fear draws out a person's true nature; it reveals who they really are.

It is for this reason, that the forces of the Eternal Master of Darkness are called Paladins of Fear. Their power and their numbers inspire terror in the hearts of weak willed men and women… The epitome of fear, one who supposedly Masters this emotion, whose power is so great that they can reveal a person's true heart, just by glancing at them, are known as Fear Masters.

But this is not always the case, as Eis has proven here, tonight. He has been a Fear Master longer than any other human ever has, if there is anyone who should be able to Master their fear, to face it without flinching and keep a level head, it should be someone like him. Who has been using the emotion of fear, for centuries… He drew out the creature he fears above all others, controlling his fear well enough to devise a plan of counter, but as soon as his carefully laid plans went south. So did his nerve. He fell into a pit of terror, allowed it to swallow him whole, and failed to formulate an effective plan of escape.

That is why he now lies on the cold steel, his torso flattened into a bloody pulp, struggling to cling to what little life is left within his blackened soul. The Monster continues to slam his Fighting type attack down onto the pile of meat that is Eis, still sensing life within his flattened form. His relentless barrage of strikes continues, with as much furry as a Primeape.

Eis cannot make even the smallest of movements, his spine has undoubtedly been destroyed, without it his central nervous system cannot function correctly, affecting his ability to move. His eye still functions, still gives him some degree of sight into the world, even if it is only enough to see the blurred image of Glalie, floating towards him. A spark of hope ignites in his pulverised heart, outshining the fear; perhaps he has a chance after all.

Before Glalie can even gather enough Ice energy to form an Icy Wind, Primal Red strikes him hard, between the horns atop his body. A single, devastating blow is all that is needed to end his life. Yet another life is claimed by the Invincible Monster tonight, while this one was by no means innocent, it is still another life that is ended by his hand. Glalie's lifeless body falls to the ground with a heavy thud, barely grazing the tips of Eis' exposed fingers.

Drawing a ghost of a smirk, Eis breathes out a single phrase. "Froslass… Once again, you prove your worth" The body of his former servant dissolves into a puff of black smoke upon the touch of his Master's pure white skin, coiling its way around his fingers and being absorbed into his being. Assimilated into the soul of Eis, restoring a fraction of his strength. While it's not much, it's enough. It has to be.

Yet another of Primal Red's Hammer Arm's comes crashing down towards Eis, this time it is bound for his head, aiming to crush his skull. With the tiny sparkle of restored strength, Eis is able to turn himself to smoke one more time, effectively dodging the blow by the skin of his teeth.

Determination driving him, Eis forces himself to reform across the furthest side of the tower, he's been dealt a lifeline card in this unwinnable game of poker, he won't waste it. Even if his Master has given up on him. The damage he has sustained is far too great, his lungs are still crushed and deflated, he cannot draw breath. Relying on his powers over Aura, he calls out to the Barrier, commanding it to do what he cannot. Find his rapier.

Time is not on his side tonight, he has maybe a few seconds, maybe, before the Monster he has unleashed turns on him again. He survived the last confrontation by Froslass' cunning and Glalie's stupidity, if there is a next time, there will be nothing to protect and save him. He's on his own now, and must survive at any cost.

His thoughts are broken in an instant, his eye dilates in his skull as, what feels like, an iron fist collides with his slowly healing chest. His senses are knocked into submission and silence, as he realises the horrible truth. It isn't here. The blade, the blade he's carried for centuries, it's gone. Destroyed during the battle. But that's not possible, that sword was forged by the Eternal Master of Darkness himself… It cannot be harmed by any mortal means, only another blade blessed with the power of Mew or Arceus can even scratch it… But… But that can't be, there are only two Knights here who possess weapons. One is atop this tower with him, and his weapons aren't even true blades, there's no way they could possibly harm his rapier. And the other Knight is at death's door, there's no physical way she could possibly have destroyed his sacred blade… So who did it?! Who could destroy such a powerful weapon?!

So focused is he on the devastating loss of the weapon that is a part of him, that the impact of Primal Red's Dragon Claw, feels like nothing more than a scratch. The claws of Dragon energy wrap around his spinal cord, gripping the vertebrae tightly, so tight they crack apart. "No… It's not fair" Eis whispered, as a single tear fell from his eye. "It's not fair, I'm a Mast-"

A Hyper Beam expelled from the jaws of the Monster silences his final words prematurely, by erasing his head from existence and burning his severed neck black. No blood is spilt by this attack, the flesh is cauterised by the energy as it burns away everything else. The limbs of Eis hang limply from his lifeless body, the legs that carried his weight and power in life, buckle under the weight of his defeat. The Darkness that swallowed his body and revealed his true form, falls as the darkest of smoke, taking with it the armor that protected him and icy tones of his flesh. Replaced by the plain black robes and boots that covered him at the start of this battle. It seems his armor and body were being sustained by the Burst, without it, his weaker form is the body that he leaves behind.

The Fear Master murdered a helpless child so many years ago, a child who had barely any control over his abilities, but who came back from death itself to wreak his horrible revenge. Eis turned a helpless little boy, into a legendary Monster, a Monster who has now in return, killed him. How ironic… Killed by his own creation.

Tossing the lifeless carcass of his tormentor aside, the Invincible Monster of the Forest screeches into sky, launching a Flamethrower hot enough to melt flesh from bone in an instant. Declaring his victory against every challenger, and asserting his undisputed dominance as the Alpha of his territory. The heat from his Fire attack spreads ripples across the Barrier that still holds them captive like Rattata, however it's surface holds strong. No cracks appear across its seemingly boundless form, no signs of weakness or that it's losing power. It remains as strong as it was the moment it was forged, the sun's rays still cannot be seen through the Darkness.

* * *

"Wake up L-Lily, wake up for M-Mommy!" Delia wailed, clutching her unconscious daughter to her breast. "P-p-please b-b-baby, wake u-up for M-Mommy"

Young Lily lies in her sobbing Mother's warm and loving embrace, not unlike the way she did when she was a little girl, but her eyes have fallen shut and her heart barely beats. She won't be coaxed from her dreamless sleep easily, no amount of pleading and begging will be able to wake her, only time will decree whether or not she returns to the land of the living. While her mysterious saviour stabilised her Aura, keeping her from dying on the spot, what will ultimately determine her fate is her own will to survive.

Much like the distraught Delia, Serena tries her hand at waking the closest thing she has to a sister, while holding her hand in her own. Lillian Ketchum's flesh is as cold as ice, without the strength of her beating heart; her blood cannot be pumped through her body fast enough, making her grow colder by the moment and her flesh turn grey. It's almost like she's already dead, that her body has given up its fight for life and submitted to Death's embrace… What has Eis done to her? Lily is always the liveliest woman in the room, the life and soul of the party, bringing the fun with her wherever she goes. But now she lies in her Mother's arms, broken and practically lifeless. It's almost like she's a different woman altogether, and not the friend Serena has known for most of her life.

Knowing there is nothing he can do to arouse her from her sleep; Lucario simply stands at her feet, staring at her lifeless form. He's simply too old to be of any use to her, healing demands a lot of strength from one, strength he no longer has left in him to give. If there was a way, he'd give it all to her if it meant she'd have a chance to live, he'd gladly give what little life runs through his veins, if it meant she could live.

That Pokémon, the Decidueye, may well have saved his Granddaughter's life tonight. A thought that fills him with great shame. A stranger to them, came and did that which he should have done, he should have been the one to go to her side and bring her back to those who love her. It is his responsibility, as her Grandpa, but he couldn't do anything. He's simply too old and frail, to even raise a blade to defend his family… What's left of it. He's completely useless in this battle, completely useless in life.

" _My time came a long time ago"_ He thought, releasing a pent up sigh and lowering his eyes. His time came many years ago, the battle against the Beast took a lot out of him, he never really recovered from it. But still he clung to life, carrying on day after day for years, enduring the pain of arthritis and the humiliation of old age, all for one reason. So he could see his family, all together again. _"I've held on for so long… For nothing"_ He thought, depressed and in pain.

His family will never be what it once was, his Grandchildren have changed too much… Red is not the boy he knew and loved, that sweet child is gone, dead. Lily isn't a sweet innocent little girl with short hair and mud on her face anymore, she's by no means innocent, he'd know that even if her mother hadn't caught her in the act. They're not little kids anymore, they've grown up and become strong, far stronger than he could have ever hoped. While he couldn't be prouder of either of them, despite everything they've done, he still wishes he could have them back to the way they were.

The harsh truth only become visible to him now, he's held on for so long and given up any chance of ever dying well, to see something that doesn't exist anymore… No more. _"I won't be a burden anymore. I am an old man, and I have lived far beyond my time. Maybe I won't leave this world tonight, but I will soon… Soon I will be with you again, Master, and you Gardevoir, my love. Soon I will be by your sides, for all eternity"_ He thought, a faint smile across his lips. _"I have no fear of death, I have lived my life as good as any many could, all I want is to die well and be with you both for all eternity… But first, there is something I must do to help my family"_

Ancient teeth grind against one-another, as the aging Aura Canine tosses his walking stick aside and forces his legs to keep still. Refusing to give in and groan or complain. A weak blue hue surrounds his ruffled fur, as his head appendages stiffen out and he raises his hands out before him. Focusing every ounce of energy that remains within his failing body into forming one last Orb, one that reveals the battle his Grandson has now won. He may not be able to heal or fight anymore, but he can still honour those who can, by letting those who love them witness their battle. The sight that is revealed by the Orb of Aura, sends shivers down his spine and dilates his eyes.

The red Pincer Pokémon ignores them, all of them; he need not concern himself with their petty squabbles and pleas for Lily, to comply with his Master's orders. The Warrior's code commands him to obey, not to care. His glowing crimson eyes remain fixed to the glowing point atop the tower, he need not use Lucario's Orb to see the battle, he hasn't missed even a single second. So far no Paladins have made the fatal mistake of venturing too close to his wards yet, but it is only a matter of time until they do, and he will be ready to destroy them when they do.

" _This battle is not yet done, Eis is not dead. Master, you have weakened him significantly, but you have not yet dealt the final blow. Eis must be punished for his betrayal, nothing less than his life will suffice. Remember Master, go for the heart, it is the weak point of any and all creatures. Including a Fear Master"_ He said aloud, coldly.

"This whole day is just fucked up!" Bonnie cried out, clinging to her brother's leg tightly. "Why isn't it bed time Clemont? If we get blown up, I'll never find a wife for you"

* * *

A hand twitches faintly, against the cold and unyielding ground on which it lies, life still resides within it. Life that was thought to have been extinguished by the Monster holds on, unable to slip away to the other side. Blade's words of wisdom were right; Eis is still very much alive. His torso and organs may be crushed, his head may be atomised, but he is still clinging to life. It seems he's taken too much damage, lost too much strength, to maintain the energy consuming Burst form and has reverted to his base form. But without the power of his transformation, he can't hope to withstand even being grazed by one of Primal Red's attacks… Hell, he can't even consciously move a muscle without the power.

What'll happen now? Even Primal Red can't maintain his Burst form forever; sooner or later he'll run out of power and revert to his true self. Or maybe his power is so great, that his body will give out before he can turn back to normal, such uncontrolled power cannot be sustained for long, it tears the body apart from the inside out. Killing the one who wields it.

And then there's Eis himself. He's lost so much energy, that he can't even regenerate his head, let alone retreat… Even if his sword hadn't been destroyed, he just doesn't have the energy needed to escape. So how is he supposed to retreat? His Master has clearly forsaken him, leaving him alone in a world that is not his own, not anymore.

Eventually those disgusting verminous Knights will return to what's left of their city, to clean up the mess he and his forces have made of this city, to cover it all up and keep the powers of Aura hidden underground. What will they do with him? Capture him to try and get some information, or just execute him on the spot? Either way, there's nothing he can do to stop them, he's a sitting Ducklet. All he can do, is lie on the steel and wait for the inevitable to come…

"Hehehehehehehe…" The sound of maniacal laughter reverberates from the Barrier, laughing at him and his pain. "Eis, you pathetic excuse for a weakling! You are a disgrace to the name Fear Master! Master should never have sent you for this mission, never send an Ice type, to do a Dragon's work! I'll deal with this irritation myself!"

A spear bursts through the smoke covered Barrier, sailing through the air faster than the human eye can follow, while dragging a heavy black chain along behind it. The weapon of Darkness ploughs through the Monster's chest, silencing his roars once and for all. The Aura forged steel is torn like paper by the blackened steel, similarly his flesh and bone offer no means of protection, despite their enhanced durability. The weapon plunges into the twisted steel, losing no power or speed as it drags the chain through his body, staining its surface crimson. It's almost as if Primal Red isn't even in its path.

This single act does what Eis has tried and failed to do since this battle began, bind the Monster and leave him helpless. His fury erupts in countless streams of fire against the chain, but having no effect whatsoever. All he do against this new threat, is struggle and try to break free.

"Hehehehehe, trapped so easily" The same voice called out from all directions at once. "And they call _you_ the Invincible Monster of the Forest? You are nothing but a pathetic Bug to be crushed, by the might of a _true_ Fear Master!"

A large claw like talon, solid black in colour, punctures the air above the spear. The air surrounding this man made weapon ripples, the way gas does when allowed to escape a pipe. This talon slices through the air, leaving a thick black line in its path, out through whish Darkness seeps. "You should be grateful for this Eis; the Master still has a use for you and your little project" A draconic voice growled, coming through the portal which it now opens. "If it wasn't for that little test tube of yours, I'd rip you apart and feed your carcase to Lazuli"

The portal opens wide, Darkness burning across its edges like a fire, revealing a striking but terrifying figure. "But then again, she is a _Shiny_ Tyrantrum, a queen amongst peasants; she only has the best meat. Not garbage like you" Said the second Master of Fear, as he stepped out from the portal and into the burning battlefield, with the window into Hell shutting behind him as he walks.

Standing 7" 1', this male is much like Eis, inhumanly tall. Well-oiled and combed hair covers his head, dirty blonde in colour, with a crest like shred of bright red at the very front. A black bandana wraps around his forehead, keeping his hair in place and holding his crest up, even as he sprints into battle. A pair of deep green eyes with flecks of dark blue, act as the windows to his dark and twisted soul. For a man who spends most of his time in the underworld where the sun's rays cannot reach, his skin is quite tanned, able to compete with that of Primal Red. What could be called his lower jaw is unlike that of any organic human being, shaped far too squarely with a mouthful of sturdy and sharp canine fangs. Across the back of his right hand, a moving tattoo of a black skull resides, much like the one across Eis' hand. Instead of having falling hail around it, this skull has a set of demon like wings either side of it. The index finger on this same hand has clearly been modified, from the first joint onwards the finger has been removed and replaced by the same black raptor like talon that tore the portal open. Made from black carbon fibre, and tipped with the purest tungsten steel, its four inch long form is surely a fearsome sight. Held in this same hand is staff-like steel rod, plainly decorated; it's encased by even more black carbon fibre, giving it a sheen look. At its base lies a straight edged blade, not unlike that of a short sword. Conversely, at its tip a single decorative figure has been attached, a Tyrantrum skull, minus its lower jaw. An electric blue shirt preserves his modesty and helps him retain warmth, with a design matching the tattoo across his hand embroidered across the back, on a much larger scale. A pair of black cargo shorts performs a similar function across his groin and thighs. Leaving his legs exposed, the legs that aren't organic, but made by man. Unlike every other man or woman in the world, this Fear Master's legs are machines, making him a cyborg. Made from some kind of dark and dull metal, these artificial limbs resemble the shape and style of a natural leg, bending at the knee and having feet, but lack anything that could be considered as muscle or muscular shaping. His feet however, couldn't be less human like. Instead of what most consider being the normal five toes, this male's feet have only two, talon like toes along with a matching back spur. While they aren't going to win any foot fetish awards, these limbs give him the perfect means to hook into the ground and maintain his grip, wherever and however he stands. Finally, his left arm is much like the machines he calls his legs, lost long ago and replaced by machinery from the elbow down. This limb is also made from the same metal that was used to make his legs, making it dark and dull in colour. Much like his other prosthetic limbs, this one too resembles that of a normal human, with the exception of his fingers. From the joint onwards, they're raptor like talons, the same as the other on his right hand.

The culmination of man and machine stands over the headless, but not lifeless, body of Eis, looking down at him with a narcissistic grin across his face, before jabbing him sharply with the bladed edge of his staff. "I would love to watch her crush you under her foot, hear your bones grind into dust and watch your organs be squished out like jelly… But Master wants you, and _him_ alive" He growled, gesturing towards Primal Red.

It's such a thrilling sight to see, Eis lying at his feet, headless and helpless. Hard to believe there was a time when this man was so feared, that the mere mention of his name made both Paladin and Knight piss themselves in fear… But that was a long time ago, he passed that torch onto the Invincible Monster of the Forest, when he made the mistake of disobeying the Master's orders. For a moment the cybernetic organism contemplates leaving him like this, it would certainly keep him from ranting about how he'll reclaim his throne as 'Eis the torturer' But then again, while he's like this, he can't see whom he stands in the shadow of. He can't know the glory of a Dragon just by sensing his presence… He has to heal him.

Darkness flows from his index talon to coil across the black staff and flow into the body of Eis, healing his torso in a matter of seconds. Smoke blacker than the void itself steams out through the burned flesh of his neck, slowly regenerating his lost head. "Don't think I'm bein' nice you weakling, I'm only following orders" He snarled, ripping his staff out from Eis' reconstructed chest, just in time for the Ice type to suck down an involuntary breath.

The eyes of Master Eis were restored along with his head, scarless and pristine; returning what was lost the last time he faced off against Redmud Ketchum. Blinking his freshly formed eyes, Eis' vision returns to its former glory, giving him a sight he had never expected to see. He stares up at the cyborg before him, unable to believe that someone has come to save his sorry carcass. Why? Why did it have to be this arrogant son of a bitch?

"Neo" He hissed, scowling angrily.

The cyborg, now known to be the Fear Master Neo, silences his brother in arms by slamming his steel foot down onto his chest and sinking his talons into his flesh, hooking onto his ribs. Making Eis momentarily scream out in pain. "That's _Master_ to you, worm"

"Neo get me out of her now! You've got no fucking idea how strong that bastard really is! He crushed me at my best, without even breaking a sweat!" Eis pleaded, while clawing at the limb pressing down his chest. "You need to-" He is once again silenced by the mechanical foot of Neo, this time the cyborg slams down onto his gut, hard enough to rupture the organs within, making him vomit blood.

"Don't fucking think you're worthy of being in my presence, you embarrassment to the name Paladin. My name must never be spoken by the unworthy, let alone by weaklings like you!" The Dragon Fear Master snarled, before turning his gaze on the Monster that he has contained. Primal Red continues to struggle against the chain that binds him, slashing at it with claws of Dragon energy.

"Am I supposed to be impressed? He's nothing" Neo growled, dismissively. "You're an embarrassment to the Master, letting yourself be beaten by such a weakling"

"H-he has a… A lot more power, locked away inside" Eis gargled, still coughing up blood. "He can't control it, if he could, we'd both be dead now… If you weren't blind as a fucking Zubat, you'd see his eyes are white! He's-" Yet again Eis is silenced by Neo prematurely. The black carbon fibre staff plunges into his open mouth, slicing through his tongue and throat, causing no end of agonising pain and preventing any more words from irritating its Master.

Calmly, the Dragon Warrior lowers his gaze from the Monster, to the beaten icicle under his foot. His eyes aim down at him, but are unfocused and unseeing, just as Eis said, he is blind. "I don't need eyes to see, Eis. I send pulses of Aura out in all directions at once, building up a detailed picture of the world in my mind… Like a Zubat uses echo-location. Unlike you, I have evolved beyond that weakness! I AM THE PERFECT KILLING MACHINE! _I HAVE NO WEAKNESS!_ "

Ripping the dagger like blade free and spinning it around in his hand, Neo smashes the blunt Tyrantrum skull attachment across Eis' face, splitting his cheek open and knocking even more of his teeth free. "I! (Smack) AM! (Smack) FUCKING! (Smack) PERFECT! (Smack)" Taking a step away from his bloodied victim, Neo watches with satisfaction, as Eis clutches his shattered face, attempting to protect it from further harm.

"Now lay there like a good little bitch, while I have some fun" He snarled, spitting on his so called brother in arms. "I came all the way from Hell to be here, I wanna see the kid you've been driving us insane about"

Primal Red slashes the chain that binds him with Shadow Claw, tearing a chunk of metal away from a single link. "Hehehehehe…" Neo chuckled, amused by his attempts for freedom. " _You're_ the fucking Monster that makes my men shit themselves? For fucks sake, they scream you're the strongest mortal to ever walk the earth. That's bullshit and we both know it, _I'M_ the strongest human who has ever lived! And after I prove how fucking weak you are, every worm out there will know it!" His words of arrogance and ignorance fall on deaf ears, Primal Red cannot comprehend any form of language.

"He can't (Cough), can't fucking understand you" Eis coughed, as his wounds healed.

"The fuck you talkin' about?! He doesn't speak Kantonian?!" The wingless cyborg snarled, angered by Eis' continued waggling tongue.

"NO!" The Ice type hissed, his fear of Primal Red outweighing his fear of Neo. "I fucking told you, he's lost control over his own power! He's nothing but blind instinct! Now get me out of here before he breaks that chain and kills us!"

A bone chilling roar bursts into existence, befitting that of a Dragon type, rather than a human male. Neo's declaration of dominance forces Eis' tongue to fall silent and his head down to the ground, scared into submission. Even at his best, he'd be no match against Neo in his base form… Despite being his senior, by a good four hundred years, he must bend to his will and do as he commands.

"DON'T DARE GIVE ME ORDERS EIS! You may have been the strongest Fear Master in all of history, but that was a long time ago, before you disobeyed Master. Now you're so weak, you almost got yourself killed by an Apprentice… Disgusting waste of Darkness!" He snarled, slashing his blade across his ward's face. "Only the Master can give me orders Eis! Never forget that!"

The sound of metal scraping against metal draws the Dragon's attention away from his beaten brother, but the roar of victory is what maintains it. Primal Red has finally cut through the chain that bound him in place, it and the spear rise through the air, nothing more than puffs of smoke. Neo's head tilts slightly, as if curious about the creature that snarls at him. "Well… That's interesting. Maybe you'll be more of a challenge than I thought; no one's ever broken one of my chains before…" His voice trails off, distracted by the rapidly healing flesh of Primal Red and the regeneration of his robes and armor. Rather than be scared by this unexpected development, Fear Master Neo is pleased and places the tip of his back talon into the corner of his mouth, chewing the tip to cut his tongue. "That's very interesting. You heal so quickly it looks like you're regenerating. Hehehehehe"

Paying no head to the sounds this intruder makes, Primal Red slowly stomps his way closer to his blind opponent, his natural glow having no effect on him whatsoever. Aura continues to crackle across his body and run across the steel beneath his exposed feet, it seems that spear and chain had no effect on his strength whatsoever.

"My orders are to return Eis to the bowls of Hell alive, to kill anyone or anything that gets in my way… Except you. I can't kill you, because of the Beast, he needs you in order to survive. Like a parasite. Hehehehehe… But no one said I couldn't test your power, I guess I can play with you for a while" He growled, cracking his knuckles and reviling in the flavour of his own blood.

Before he can even take a single step forwards, the presence of another, more interesting subject distracts his attention. His cold blood is warmed by the heat of the crystalline spire, filling his machine made body with energy. "Well well well… What have I found here?" Breaking a chunk of the quartz like substance off from the whole, he examines the unknown spire with keen interest. His natural eyes may not function anymore, but he doesn't need them, in order to know what this crystal really is, the immense power radiating from it as heat, is a dead giveaway. "Good mother fucking god… A Spirit Shard?! You've got enough power to make a Spirit Shard?!"

His fear of the Monster driving him to move again, Eis scrambles to his feet and stands at the edge of the tower, ready to flee from this place forever. "I've been telling you all for years he's strong! None of you believed me, but now you've got proof! Now get me out of her now! Before he attacks!" Sensing the growing smirk across Neo's face, Eis continues. "You can't beat him you egotistical idiot! I don't give a flying fuck whether you live or die, just get me out of here before you sentence yourself to death!"

Snarling like a rabid demon at the intruder and betrayer, Primal Red maintains his slow but steady course, attempting to intimidate them both into submission before killing them.

The cybernetic organism known as Neo mindlessly pockets the Shard, ignoring the Ice type's pleas and warnings. The prospect of fighting someone new, who is not only powerful enough to create a Spirit Shard, but is also a living legend that strikes fear into the hearts of men so fiercely, they empty their bowls at the mere mention of his name, has him trembling with excitement and grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "Fuck the orders, I'm gonna have some fun. Ain't that right, mister Monster? Hehehehehe"

With the distance between the titans of Fire and Dragon closed, but neither side having given even a single inch, Primal Red is left with only a single choice. He releases a single roar, a roar that petrifies Eis so thoroughly, his bladder empties itself. His urine runs down his legs and into his boots. Recognising such a roar as that of a declaration of dominance, Neo slams his staff down and bellows back, just as loud.

Declaring himself an official challenger, to the Monster's rule.

The Monster of Fire strikes faster than even the regenerated eyes of Eis can follow, his Mega Punch ploughs through the air faster than a speeding bullet, only to be blocked effortlessly, by the steel like machine hand of Neo. Dealing no damage whatsoever. Grinning deviously, the cyborg releases his hold over his opponent, mocking him and his strength. Primal Red responds with another attack, this time hurling his Fire Punch into his blind opponent's face. Yet again this attack is blocked without the slightest issue or effort, making it worthless and a waste of energy. Recovering faster than any normal man, Primal Red swings his flaming foot out in a roundhouse Blaze Kick. Neo's mechanical legs bend at the knee to drop him back, swiftly evading the Fire attack, and immediately bring him back up into a standing position, still grinning with confidence.

Roaring out in frustration, Primal Red swings his Hammer Arms out into his challenger's head, but yet again the Fear Master proves his defensive capabilities are beyond his offensive capabilities. Raising his arms, he easily blocks the scissor like chops of his opponent. "Is this it? I feel fucking cheated, I expected a good fight out of you… Oh well, if this is all I get" He growled, patronising his opponent.

Pushing Primal Red's arms away, he hurls his own fist straight into his gut. No Darkness augments his strength any further, no elemental energy is used, this blow is a simple and normal punch, the kind any man could throw. Yet it does something that Eis could not, this punch actually hurts the Monster. Stumbling backwards, his arms wrapped around his throbbing gut, Primal Red arches forwards, silently howling in pain with drool falling from his fangs. There was enough force in that blow to leave him stunned, all be it momentarily.

The Dragon Master lazily yawns, apparently bored by the challenge he has been presented. "I know you've got me power than this kid, you couldn't make a Spirit Shard if you didn't" His head rolls around his neck, as though taking in the battlefield on which they stand. "How the fuck did you fight here without falling off?" He asked, not waiting for Eis to answer before acting. With a swipe of his staff, the Spirit Shard spire is shattered into thousands of tiny, dust like fragments, never to be seen again. A tap of his weapon against the ground not once, not twice but three times in quick succession, and a Barrier bursts into existence. Rather than rise as a shield, this field of Darkness spreads out across the steel ground, forming a floor like surface that expands the battlefield tenfold. "That's better" He snarled, before smashing the blunt end of his staff across Primal Red's face, knocking him to his side and retrieving him out from his stunned state.

The Fear Master of Ice can only watch on from the side lines, so petrified he turns blue in the face and cares not for the urine in his boots. Neo is strong, far stronger than Primal Red now, but he is a fool. An arrogant and egocentric fool. The Monster is called Invincible for a reason, a reason he had long since forgotten, but remembered when his head was destroyed… Primal Red cannot control his power, it controls him, a detail that has been mulled over far too much tonight, but the most important factor hasn't been noticed… The more Primal Red fights, the deeper he digs into his well of power. Every blow he takes only serves to make him stronger.

"I-if he's th-this strong now… What-t'll happen, w-when he starts… _Trying_?" He stuttered.

Silently appearing beside her Master, Froslass dares not breathe out a single word. Her Master is undoubtedly furious, Neo's never ending thirst for battle has provoked the wrong Monster, so any interaction could easily provoke his furry and focus it onto her. She may be a Ghost, but she is still alive and would like to remain that way for as long as possible.

The Monster with a legend attached to his name slashes out his claws of Ghost energy at the cyborg, who blocks the Shadow Claw with his weapon of choice, held in both his hands at once. This attack requires a great deal more effort to repel than the last one did. "Come on kid, quit sandbagin' and really hit me!" He growled, forgetting that Primal Red cannot understand the Kantonian tongue, let alone fall for the Taunt. He hurls another punch into Primal Red's gut, one just as strong as the last one.

Things are different this time though, the Monster doesn't even flinch let alone buckle over in pain, nothing stops him from hurling his second Fire Punch straight into Neo's face. While the attack may not be Very Effective, the force behind it is more than enough to send Neo stumbling back, rubbing his sore cheek. "Now _that's_ more like it" He growled.

A ball of purest Dragon energy forms in the hand of the blinded Knight, fired off as a roaring Dragon Pulse that hungers for flesh. Smashing his staff into the blue beam, Neo sends the thunderous blast off sailing into the distance. This time he did not escape unscathed, lingering crackles of Dragon energy sting and sear his flesh, much like the last attack did. Cackling like a hyena, the Paladin returns his staff to the depths of his Aura and stands tall, with a smug grin across his face and Ghost energy encasing his right hand.

"Thanks Jpr123 for showing me how to do this right!" He called out, while plunging his Shadow Claw into the Barrier under their feet. Five massive spikes of Ghost energy burst out through the shield turned floor, around Primal Red's feet, each one stabbing into a different part of his anatomy and spilling blood as hot as lava.

Despite being impaled upon the blade like pillars of Ghost energy, Primal Red opens his jaws wide and fires a Fire Blast missile into the Dragon's readied shield of Darkness, exploding into a symbol shape upon contact. While the small Barrier Neo erected was enough to shield his scale-like skin from the flames, enough heat came through to burn his flesh faintly. Filling him with a mixture of excitement and confusion. That attack had a type disadvantage against him, being a Fire type move and he a Dragon type, but it stung worse than the Super Effective Dragon Pulse… Far worse. Yes it had a Stab boost by being the same type as he is, but he's badly injured! He shouldn't be able to gather enough power together to form an attack like that, let alone make it strong enough to hurt him through his shield. The Shadow Claw retracts back into the ground, freeing Primal Red and allowing his wounds to heal the second they go, leaving no visible trace they were ever there.

Pushing these unwanted thoughts from his twisted mind Neo explodes forwards with Extreme Speed, to smash his Sky Uppercut into the Knight's jaw, shattering the bones and sending him into the air. Combining his machine hand with his natural born one he fires off an Aura Wave of Darkness into Primal Red, creating a shroud of smoke and bringing his unwanted flight, to an abrupt end. With a heavy slam, Primal Red collides with the ground, hard.

"The end of the battle… WHAT?!" Neo screamed, a hint of fear written across his face.

The Monster leaps back to his feet once again, without so much as a scratch across his body or even a single dent in his armor. Roaring like a pissed off Nidoking, he sprints into battle again, this time armed with a Dragon Claw.

Stunned into silence, Neo's unwanted thoughts once again return. That attack should have put Primal Red down, it's true he held back so as not to kill him, but it still had enough power to knock him out. He was certain of it. At the very least he should be crippled, unable to fight back anymore, but he doesn't even have the slightest scratch! Not even a mother fucking bruise! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!

The titan of Fire slashes out his Dragon Claw across the exposed torso of Neo, earning him a roar of pain and a slash of Neo's talon across his face, like the other strikes though, this one does nothing more than irritate him. His attention once again brought back to the battle, Neo responds to the sucker punch like strike, with a Dragon Claw of his own. The two blinded Warriors lock their Dragon attacks together, locked in a standoff that neither one can bring to an end with mere brute strength.

It would seem the Dragon underestimated his opponent, believing he was an overrated legend who gained his title, by crushing a weakling like a Bug type… But it looks like there is a nugget of truth to this myth. There is something special about this man, something that makes him stand out from the crowd, but what is it? What is his secret?… Does it even matter? He can't really be invincible, no human can, they were created to be weak. Eventually he'll fall the same as any other. It's just a matter of hitting hard enough.

"THIS ENDS NOW!" Neo roared, swinging his cybernetic leg into Primal Red's side, cracking his ribs and breaking his form. With the window of opportunity opened, Neo slashes his Dragon Claw across the Monster's exposed chest, but draws not a single drop of blood. Releasing another roar, Primal Red covers his entire body in the fiercest of fire and slams himself into his challenger, the power of his Flame Charge lifting Neo clean off the ground and propelling them both forwards.

Standing from the side lines, Eis watches the two most powerful forces within this snow globe like setting clash repeatedly, tearing chunks out of one another in a daring display of power and natural ferocity. Primal Red is like a force of nature, crafted and moulded by the harsh reality of the world, sharpened into the blade that kills without feeling. While conversely, Neo is anything but natural, while he was born and bred a human, his body was badly damaged long ago, manmade technology saved his life and turned him into the cyborg he is today. These proud Warriors couldn't be further apart, but they collide with one another none the less, in a battle between man and machine.

"You stupid mother fucker, stop fighting him and open the portal again. Without my sword I can't make one of my own, so you and your fucking talon are my only way out" Eis spat, angered by the being forgotten by both the Warriors, but also relieved that he will no longer be the focus of their attacks.

Deciding that brooding over things he cannot control will ultimately serve no purpose, Eis instead uses this time to ensure he won't become an unintended victim of Neo's trap. He curses himself for not thinking of such a brilliant plan, it would have saved him humiliation and pain, by ending this nightmare when it began. "Mental note, steal this tactic and use it against Neo" He thought.

The Shard in Neo's pocket did not lie, it's creator is undeniably a powerful opponent. Never before has the Dragon Fear Master had such an exciting battle with just a mere Knight Apprentice, this kind of power is expected from a Master of Aura who has decades of battle experience under their belt, not a young pup who can barely transform.

"Congrats kid, you've impressed me. Now let's see how you handle this" He growled while using Iron Defence. What little organic flesh he retains is quickly converted into solid steel, while this move raises his defences; he did it for another reason. Sprinting forward with his head bowed in a Skull Bash, his move becomes clear. Iron Skull Bash, a combination of a defensive and damaging move, that is far more beneficial than a simple Iron Head.

Standing tall, without even a drop of fear throughout his lava like blood, Primal Red readies his counter attack. A long, but tight, stream of fire pours from the palm of his hand to burn across the battlefield, resembling a whip with the handle burning in his hand. With the aim of an experienced slave trader, Primal Red swings his whip-like Fire attack out and into Neo, shattering his attack and melting the metal like surface of his skin. Lifting the Fear Master from the earth and sending him on a one way trip back to whence he came.

"It can't be… Only a Heatmor can use Fire Lash" Eis whispered, unable to believe his senses.

The cybernetic organism leaps back to his three taloned feet, slightly bruised but ultimately unharmed by the Monster's last attack, but intrigued by the sudden increase in power. "THAT'S IT! GIMME MORE OF THAT! SHOW ME YOUR _REAL_ POWER!" He screeched gleefully.

A pair of black Aura Orbs form in his hands, while small in size, each one carries a great deal of power. Capable of dealing far more damage than his Wave did. "HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" He cackled, while hurling these mighty Orbs in rapid succession. Every blast of Darkness filled Aura coaxes a howl of pain from the Monster, while the smoke made from the Darkness weaves a veil around his body, shielding him from sight. But this makes little to no difference to the blind Paladin, he cannot see him anyway. Suddenly he changes tactics, the blasts of Aura that were meant for the Knight rise into the air above the tower, circling their intended victim like Mandibuzz waiting for a dying Pokémon to slip away. Pretty soon dozens of Orbs fill the air, filling the battlefield with what little light they produce.

Raising his hands up to the sky, Neo's unseeing eyes focus onto his opponent, once again taking this battle seriously. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say something witty and clever, but you know what… I'M NOT VERY WITTY!" His arms come crashing down to earth, pulling down every Orb he fired down with them. Primal Red is bombarded by a seemingly endless volley of Darkness, howling in pain and rage; he can do nothing to defend himself. With every miniature explosion the veil of smoke grows thicker and fuller, becoming so strong, the glow surrounding the Monster cannot escape its surface. Despite the series of assaults, both given and received, Fear Master Neo stands strong and pristine, not even a single bead of sweat rolls down his neck.

The final Orb kamikazes itself, bringing the sounds of battle to an end and allowing silence to fall into place. Neither Knight nor Paladin makes even the faintest of sounds, it's as though their lungs have ceased to function in order to allow tension to fill the air. Two sets of hungry eyes greedily stare at the wall of smoke created by the blind fighters, waiting impatiently to see the effect of such a vicious attack had on Primal Red. The smoke faintly wafts away, without any wind in the air, it can only dissipate so quickly. Neither Eis nor Froslass dare voice their frustrations, for fear of becoming the focus of the fighters again, but they scream in their minds for the smoke to fade.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ear splitting roar slices through the silence like a chainsaw through two short planks, combined with an incredible surge of Aura, an incredible typhoon like gust of wind forces the smoke away from the glowing super human. The power of Primal Red's voice once again forces Eis to his knees, clutching his bleeding ears and screaming in pain. Froslass' Ghost typing once again protects her from the effects of the Hyper Voice, but Neo is a Dragon type and is still susceptible to Normal attacks. Yet he stands as though nothing has happened, that the world around him is still silent. There is more to him than meets the eye, more parts of him that are machine rather than man and other aspects that have been altered to protect against weaknesses. A brain implant does this for him, protecting him from sound based attacks.

Now the smoke has lifted and roar has died, Primal Red's glowing glory can now be seen by the world. Snarling like a rabid Furfrou, the Monster has undergone a second change to his appearance. Unlike the transformation that turned him from a man to a Monster, this change isn't nearly as drastic. Fangs protrude either side of his canine teeth, smaller but just as strong and sharp as their larger counterparts. Brilliant red flames burn around his wrists, not unlike that of a Blaziken, but not quite as fierce. Finally, the talons that grow from his flesh naturally have turned from their normal translucent colourlessness to a solid black. His armor may be Aura forged steel and weaker than any _real_ armor, but it remains stainless and pristine, much like his flesh. It's like none of the attacks ever happened.

Being blind as a Zubat, Neo cannot see the physical changes in his opponent, but the same cannot be said for Froslass and Eis. They see how morphed his body has become. Both the human born Paladins can feel what the Ghost cannot; there has been an undeniable surge of power within the Monster. It's almost as if he's transformed for a second time tonight.

"B-b-but th-that's not p-p-possib-b-ble" Eis stuttered, petrified by the idea of Primal Red becoming stronger. "Th-there isn't a-a-a-a s-second form, the B-Burst is everyth-thing. There's n-nothing l-like… Burst two or an-anything. He c-can't have t-transformed, I-I'd have f-felt it… So w-what is it then? A f-form change? No, humans only have t-two forms. Base and Burst… So what the fuck did you do?!"

Primal Red attacks before any of the Paladins can begin to figure out what he's done or how he became so much stronger, so quickly. His Aura Wave explodes from his fangs and collides head on with Neo. This time it's the Dragon Paladin's turn to scream in pain and rage as he is forced across the Barrier, and enveloped by blinding red light. Tiny red crystals form across his steel made limbs, each glowing like a tiny fairy light on a Christmas tree.

Impressive. Primal Red is indeed far more powerful than the Paladin had ever expected or dared to hope, he just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Neo's mind begins to wander, as his black carbon fibre talon hooks into the corner of his mouth, to be lightly chewed upon as he contemplates the obvious.

The Monster that stands before him is… Phenomenal, it's astonishing that someone so young could possibly be so powerful. Sure he has a legend accompanying his name, but that is merely an honorary title given by the foolish. It does nothing to increase his power or strengthen his abilities, like the title of Fear Master, or Knight Master. If he has such amazing strength without divine aid, how much stronger could he become, if Darkness ran through his veins? The power of the Eternal Master of Darkness would augment his natural prowess and push it to even greater heights. His potential value as a Paladin is far too great to be ignored, but not as anything less than a Fear Master, where his powers will be augmented to their maximum. Why has the Eternal Master of Darkness ignored him for all this time? Why has no one been attempting to recruit him into the ranks of the Paladins?

"Ah, that's right… The Beast. The Fear Master who lurks within your heart" The answer to his questions become clear, why Eis was instructed to break Red, rather than recruit him. Although that hasn't stopped him from trying. The truth is simple; the Knight is far more valuable to the Master and his cause, if he's left as he is. A host for the Beast. While his body is weak and frail, compared to the Beast, and as such puts an incredible limit on its power, it keeps Beast alive… If only there was a way to separate the two, without killing the Knight. It's such a shame, there is little the Dragon Fear Master wouldn't give to push Primal Red to his limits, so he's at his strongest, and then kill him in battle. Proving once and for all, that he's the stronger fighter.

"You may be the Apex… But Dragons are the Apex, of the Apex!" Sending a pulse of Darkness across his body, the lingering Spirit Shards are forced from his cybernetic anatomy. "No one is stronger than a Dragon. The only thing that can beat a Dragon is another Dragon!"

"AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A crazed laughter called out, as another Portal is torn open in the air, behind the Fear Master of the Dragon element. Unlike the clean, almost surgical cut that Neo used to enter the battlefield, this portal is ragged and torn, as though the air was torn apart by a set of claws. Luminous green light shines through the opening, illuminating the Darkness of the Barrier, but not affecting it at all.

From the depths of this luminous gateway to another realm, a figure slowly descends; remaining perfectly still he enters the fray. A set of large wings lie tightly wrapped around his body, shielding the majority of his form from sight, while a long tail like appendage is coiled around his legs, also shielding them from sight and holding them together. All eyes atop the tower turned battlefield lock onto this mysterious figure, asking themselves various questions as he descends from the entrance, even eyes that can no longer function do this.

" _Is that…?"_ Froslass asked, hoping against hope she is wrong.

"It can't be… Not him" Eis whispered, shaking his head.

Neo's eyes may be blind and unable to see this male, but his eyes of Aura reveal all he needs to see. He'd recognise the foul sight of his luminous green Aura anywhere. A powerful, hatred filled snarl fills the void of silence, one so deep it shakes the very earth beneath Neo's cybernetic feet. White foam froths at his morphed mouth, while crackles of black Aura run across his entire body, scorching his clothes ever so slightly.

While Primal Red is in a similar state to his opponent, unable to see who this man actually is, his instincts recognise the sight of another intruder in his territory. Acting accordingly to this threat, he attempts to assert his dominance over the newcomer, without allowing his challenger to escape.

The strange and mysterious newcomer spins on the spot, while maintaining his position in the air, laughing like a maniac as he does. Spreading his wings out as far as physically possible, while swinging his tail out, he announces his entrance to the world. "AND HIS NAME IS _DRAGO-CENA!_ AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

This male stands at an astonishing 6" 6', but to be fair the last few inches of his height come from the extra additions to his body, not from his natural height. Wild, messy and untamed hair covers his head, bright red in colour and in desperate need of a comb. A slight mutation gives him a set of unusual eyes, the official name being 'Heterochromia', meaning his eyes are two completely different colours. His right eye being a bright shade of green, while the left is as black as the ace of spades. Every tooth in his mouth is designed for the same purpose, the tearing and ripping of flesh and the crunching of bone, however four fangs are far longer than the others, they poke past his lips even when his mouth is shut. His arms are very different from the norm; from the elbows down he loses his Caucasian skin, instead having thick black scales, like that of a reptilian Pokémon, that overlap with one another. Forming a set of natural armour, stronger than any steel could ever hope to be. The hands at the ends of these limbs, while human in shape, are also covered by these diamond strength scales, with the exception of the palms of his hands, which are leather like to the touch and a shade of deep green, matching that of his right eye. Where normal human beings have fingernails, this one has a set of pure white talons growing from the tips of his finger and thumb bones. Poking through the protective scales across his knuckles, lies seven shards of clear crystal, embedded into his hands, with the tips protruding past his defences. A Key Stone lies in his left hand knuckle, taking the slot of a shard. Much like the scales that cover and defend his arms, his legs are also covered by these scales, growing thicker and fewer the closer they get to his hips. His feet are not that of a human, but that of a Dragon, having no soles to speak of, his three elongates toes grow from his ankle joint to lift and support his weight, kept in balance by the spur coming out of the back of his ankle. Just as talons grow from his fingers, a matching set of talons grow from the tips of his toes and back spurs. Growing out of his back, and also providing the extra few inches of his height, are a set of muscular Charizard like wings. Just like his other limbs, these are also covered with protective black scales, though these are far greater in number and smaller in size, the webbing of these means of flight is like that of his soft underbelly and hands, deep green and leathery to the touch. Hanging out from the base of his spine, a heavy and thick, four foot long tail grows. Much like the rest of his draconic form, this extra limb is also covered in thick black scales with a soft green underbelly. At the end of this mighty weapon, a white spur pokes through, sharp enough to slice through solid steel, given enough force. His eyes reflect a buzzing array of random thoughts that make little to no sense, even to himself. Dull forest green chainmail armor covers his torso, which is in turn protected by sheets of black scale like armor. His shoulders are covered by more of this armor, as are his upper arms, but from the elbow down they're left exposed, but also shielded by his natural armor. Black robe like cloth hangs down from his waist, leaving his legs free and easy to move in combat. The symbol of the Knights is engraved onto the back of his armor, with the words "We stand ever vigilant, ready to do our duty" inscribed beneath it. Glowing green luminous green light seems to shine from under the scale like sheets of armor, not so bright that it blinds the eye, just enough to be noticeable. This armor has undoubtedly seen better days, being dented and scuffed in many places.

The male Draconic creature, now identified as Drago, dances in the air like an excited child while his portal closes above him. "I FINALLY MADE IT TO DISNEY WORLD!" He cried out gleefully.

Unimaginable hatred and rage burns throughout Neo's twisted soul at the sight of this abomination, his fists clench so tightly, blood runs down his fingers. "YOU!" He roared, at the top of his lungs.

The sound of Neo's hatred brings Drago's dance of joy to an abrupt end; he stares at the cybernetic organism, confused. "Mickey Mouse? Is that you? My god you're ugly in person… WAIT! We knows you!" Grabbing his left foot, he contorts his body to hold his limb against his ear. "It's him isn't it Dr Foot? The mean man who makes up nasty lies… WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU!" Twisting his hands around his ankle, he throttles his foot as though it has a throat. "DIE DR FOOT! _DIE!_ "

Drago continues to 'strangle' his own foot, believing it to be talking to him, as well as being extremely rude. He's ignoring Neo? _Ignoring_ him?! Neo's snarl deepens as his rage builds to new heights. The ground beneath his feet trembles in fear of him and the emotions burning inside, so fiercely, that Eis can no longer maintain his self-standing balance and is forced to his knees. While Primal Red's legs are far more powerful than that of Eis, he too struggles to stay on his feet.

"DRAGO!" The enraged cyborg cried out, furry echoing in his voice.

Turning to his counterpart in the Dragon element, with his foot still in his hands, Drago tilts his head, confused. "Dr Foot I think the flying avocado is pickled… Oooh! We knows you now!" Releasing his foot, he glares sharply at his enemy. "YOU'RE NEO! That asshole Paladin! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MICKEY MOUSE?!"

Before his opponent has the chance to respond to his ramblings, his attention is diverted to the glowing red form of Primal Red, snarling up at him. "Green Lantern? What're you doing in Disney World? And since when're you a Watermelon?" His ramblings are brought to an end, by a hate filled Dragon Pulse. Screaming like a little girl being dragged to the dentist, Drago shields himself with Steel Wing. "HOW RUDE! DIDN'T YOUR MOM EVER TEACH YOU NOT TO TAKE THINGS THAT DON'T BELONG TO PUDDING?!"

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Primal Red roared into the sky, releasing a fragment of his blinding furry, and drawing attention back to himself once again.

"PLAYTIME IS OVER!" Neo screeched, turning on his heel to face the Monster. With a single swipe of his hand, the Barrier that he created to be his battleground reveals its true intentions. Barriers are constructed to be shields for both Knights and Paladins, but this one was created to be a trap, a last resort in case he grew bored of his battle. But now it serves to remove the irritant that is Primal Red from his presence, by dissolving away beneath his feet, leaving nothing for him to stand on, but empty air.

Enraged and confused the sudden shift beneath his feet, as well as the feeling of air running past his limbs, Primal Red claws out at the empty air around him, in an attempt to remain in the battle. He falls. He falls quickly. Air rushes past his head so fast, it blocks out his sense of hearing completely, no sound can reach his ears. Although his eyes cannot see it, the cracked concrete of the courtyard beneath the tower is quickly approaching. Littered with the bodies and severed limbs of the dead. Nothing can stop this inevitability, this is a battle Primal Red cannot win, he has lost.

A final roar bellows past the Invincible Monster of the Forest's fangs, carrying with it… Nothing. Instinct cannot make demands, threats or vows of revenge. It can only guide its ward, in their eternal struggle to survive and act as a guide in response to a situation. His final act, before meeting his grim fate, is to roar for no reason whatsoever.

And then… It happens. His glowing crimson form collides with the cold concrete of the Lumiose courtyard, belly first. The force from the fall is enough to push him through the solid ground, and carve out a tiny crater in which to lie, as he is buried by the rubble and dust that were once a home. As well as the bodies of those who fell before him. The glow surrounding what the people of Lumiose thought to be a fallen angel fades in the blink of an eye, as though it was never there to begin with. This can only mean one thing; he has reverted back to his base form. The question is though, why? Has the shock of the sudden impact forced him into an unconscious state, so he is unable to sustain his empowered form… Or has he left this world once again, by the hand of a Fear Master? There is no way to know, all that can be certain, is that the Invincible Monster of the Forest has fallen. Buried by his own sin.

* * *

Primal Red is gone. Removed from this battle, perhaps for good. But that is of no concern to Fear Master Neo, not anymore, all that matters to the culmination of science and technology now, is revenge. "I'LL KILL YOU!" He roared like a Druddigon, firing off a loose stream of Darkness from his hands. His attack aimed at his rival and greatest enemy.

The one calling himself Drago continues to laugh like a mad man, it seems he doesn't quite understand the danger that has been presented to him. Or perhaps he does understand, and believes himself beyond its harm. Much like the fate of Mew's Apprentice, there is no way to know.

Drago rolls through the air, effectively dodging Neo's blast. "WE MADE IT TO DISNEY WORLD SALAMANCE! _HEY!_ WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! SALAMANCE! HYDREIGON! GET YOUR SCALY ASSES IN HERE AND HELP ME FIND MICKEY MOUSE!"

His faithful Dragon/Flying type partner cannot disobey a command, no matter how ridiculous. Salamance is a large blue and red Dragon Pokémon, with wings so awkwardly shaped, they seem incapable of flight. Armor covers his torso and neck, leaving his wings, short stubby legs and head free from steel. A Mega Stone sits in his chest piece, granting him the power of Mega Evolution. Covered in Dragon energy, he smashes his way through the Barrier that surrounds the dead city of Lumiose, using Dragon Rush. _"NOT MICKEY MOUSE! Let's go on the Peter Pan ride!"_ He roared back to his Master.

The one called Hydreigon quickly follows after his brother in type and duty, enlarging the hole as he goes to allow himself to fit through. Being a Dragon/Dark type, he is somewhat different to Salamance. Six thin twig like wings grow out from his back, somehow granting him the power of flight. Blue skin covers his big and round belly, with purple stripes running down either side of his neck. An overcoat of black fur like skin covers his neck and arms, which each have a tiny brainless head, in place of hands. His centre head has a purple frill surrounding it. Stainless steel armor covers his chest, while holding a single seat saddle between his wings. Like Salamance before him, this Dragon type bears a Mega Stone, embedded into his chest piece. Unlike Salamance, this Dragon ignores Drago's ramblings, instead choosing to destroy the cancerous filth that plagues the city with a tri-blast of Dark Pulse.

" _HEY!"_ Salamance cried out, upon seeing the Dark Dragon destroy a large portion of a city block. _"Don't destroy Disney World, it took us_ _forever_ _to find it!"_

"THE FUCK YOU TALKIN' 'BOUT?!" Drago cried out, dodging another attack from his enemy. "DIGIVOLVE TO MEGA ALREADY! WE'RE AT WAR HERE! THE PETER PAN RIDE CAN WAIT, DUMBO _ALWAYS_ COMES FIRST!" Connecting his index finger to the rainbow like gemstone embedded in his knuckle, he triggers the power of the Knights, Mega Evolution.

The power of the Mega Stone embedded in Salamance's armor is awakened by his Master's touch; rainbow like light engulfs his form and transforms his body. _"Salamance, Digivolve too! MEGA SALAMANCE!"_ Shedding the light of his Mega Stone, the pseudo Legendary emerges in his Mega Form. His wings fuse into one crescent moon shape, while his body becomes far more streamlined and aerodynamic. His armor morphs to meet his new body shape, melding into place, while keeping his Mega Stone and source of his new found power intact.

Despite having a perfectly functional Mega Stone embedded into his armor, Hydreigon doesn't gain the power of Mega Evolution; he remains in his base form. _"You assholes are gonna piss off_ _a lot_ _of people by doing that shit! Thank fuck no one reads this crap"_ Shifting his focus from the battle, he uses Tri-Attack to fire off three elemental blasts of Fire, Ice and Electric energy into the Barrier. Punching three large holes into it and spreading countless cracks across its surface. _"COME ON IN BOYS! THE PARTY'S JUST STARTING!"_

No sooner than the blasts of energy clear the way, than countless streams of light flood in through the entrances Hydreigon has produced for them. Each and every light is different, unique, and beautiful. But together they form what looks like a beautiful falling rainbow, into a world of death and destruction. Hundreds of Knights join the battle of Lumiose City, men and woman, Warriors and Mages alike. Some of these noble souls descend to the earth, taking their true human and Pokémon forms, to carve their way through the streets and stain their weaponry with Paladin blood. Others stay airborne and assault the Paladins who take to the skies and fall through the mostly intact Barrier. Smoke and light twist and coil around one another, each attempting to destroy the other.

"REINFORCEMENTS! FIND THAT LEPRECHAUN WHO OWES ME MONEY!" Drago cried out, as he tossed a beach ball sized Aura Orb out at Neo, who manages to deflect it. "I'll take care of this Dragonling. Your orders are to play the onion like a whale!"

" _But I hate onions!"_ Mega Salamance groaned, before using Dragon Rush against a street full of Paladins and Paladin Pokémon.

The Dark Dragon feels a powerful urge to destroy Drago, to devour his flesh and erase him from existence. But such a desire is not only treacherous, it would undoubtedly give him indigestion for weeks, so instead of indulging his destructive nature on him he turns it on the Barrier. _"That psycho belongs in an insane asylum"_ He grumbled to himself.

The blind Master of Fear watches with angered disinterest, as Knights come flooding in through the flimsy Barrier that Eis created, colliding with the drones that continue to call through said crumbling waste of Darkness. Unable to act without an order from a superior, the Grunts cannot stop themselves from basically committing suicide. He never understood Eis' fondness for these weaklings; they're pathetically weak, so weak they can't even stand up against a single Knight Apprentice. All they're really good for is target practise. That being said, these Knights cannot be allowed to destroy them, they belong to the Eternal Master of Darkness. "So you wanna bring the military into this eh? Well let's see how your pathetic Knights do against some Dragons"

Summoning his black staff back into his hand, he taps the weapon against the Barrier beneath his feet three times. Summoning his own personal supply of Paladins to the battle. From the depths of the field of Darkness, dozens of Paladin Sentinels fall and enter the dead city, turned warzone. They fall much like the Grunts, appearing as streams of Darkness, but they are unlike their counterparts. Far stronger and better trained, while joined by a Dragon Pokémon, rather than any other. Sentinels are not as weak willed as Grunts, they require no orders from their Master to act, they begin their deadly assault without hesitation. With another tap of his staff, Neo ends the summons of his Dracanoid Paladins.

With all distractions now eliminated and battle once again raging in all corners of Lumiose, the half man half Dragon flies closer to Neo, his arms crossed and his tail wagging slightly. "So we meet again, Mr Bond"

"I'll rip you limb from limb for what you did to me!" Neo roared, angered even further by Drago's insulting disregard for his title and name. Making use of his manufactured legs, he leaps into the air to slash his staff out at Drago, who responds by slamming his tail across his chest, hurling him back down into the Barrier.

"It's over Anakin! I have the high ground!" Drago called out, laughing himself stupid while clutching his sides. "Without wings you'll never hit me Dragonling!"

His fury almost blinding his eyes of Aura, Neo stabs his Shadow Claw into the ground, sending a giant Ghost like hand out to snatch Drago from the sky and slam him into the Barrier. "I _am_ a Dragon!" Neo roared, as they both rose to their feet.

Unaffected by the attack, Drago is quick to spout more gibberish. "Nope nope nope! Not Dragon! Dragons have _wings!_ " Flapping his wings in a mocking manner, as he speaks.

"Not every Dragon needs wings!" Neo roared, hurling a Darkness filled punch into the Dragon Knight's face, moving so fast he seems to teleport. Catching this lightning fast strike with one hand, Drago hits back with an Aura filled punch of his own. The Dragon Paladin quickly dodges this strike and kicks his foot into Drago's jaw, just as he hits out with his wings. Both fighters are sent summersaulting backwards by their blows, feeling the sting of the other's power in that instant.

The two Dragons leap back to their feet and resume their battle. Neo charges forwards, armed with a Dragon Claw, while Drago spins forwards with Dragon Tail. The two Dragon elemental strikes collide and bounce off each other, dealing no damage whatsoever. Neither fighter lets this setback affect them, they continue to strike one another again and again, each blocking many blows while also taking few.

"Patty cake patty cake, baker man! Bake me a cake as fast as ya can!" Drago sang, ending with a Dragon Tail across Neo's face, sending him back and ending their stalemate. "Good effort, but I'm the patty cake champion" Drago said, as Neo wiped the trickle of blood from his lips.

Standing the relative safety of the side lines, relieved beyond measure that his presence has gone unnoticed by Drago, Eis can only watch the battle rage on without him, silently waiting for his chance to escape. He couldn't stand against any of Primal Red's strikes when he was at his weakest, there's no way he'd be able to withstand even a light attack from the Dragon Knight… He was the greatest threat Lumiose had ever seen, the harbinger of death and destruction, the Fear Master of Ice!… But now he is nothing but a failure. A pathetic has been. But for some reason his Master not forsaken him, not yet, even if it is only because of his project. Perhaps he should invest more time into this, rather than focusing solely on Red. He's wasted years on that Boy, attempting to weaken his resistance and break him… All for nothing. But project M2, that's still in the development stage, if he were to focus his efforts onto this, it could not only bear fruit, it could bring in the whole harvest alone.

The Dragons who owe their loyalty to the Paladins of Fear and the Aura Knights continue their battle, matching each other punch for punch, kick for kick and claw for claw. Cold sweat runs down their bodies, while neither of them has even begun to tap into their true power, the battle still takes a toll on them. Another collision of attacks forces the fighters across the battlefield, panting faintly, both sides take this chance to take a breath and collect their thoughts. Drago's thoughts are… Well non-existent, as he is once again having an intricate discussion with his foot, which he holds against his ear once again.

Neo however, doesn't seem to have the chance to think.

"That battle's over Neo. Return to HQ immediately with both Eis _and_ that Spirit Shard. I want to study it" A feminine voice within his mind said flatly, not giving him a choice in the matter.

How dare she. How dare she interrupt his battle and command him like a mere Grunt! He is a Fear Master and _will_ be treated with respect! Besides, he is in the middle of his long desired revenge. Nothing will deter him from this end. "TOO BAD! I'M BUSY KILLING DRAGO!" He snarled back. Dark energy engulfs his talons, turning them into a Night Slash. But before he has the chance to use this attack, the voice once again returns.

"That's an order Neo. Do you really want to defy me? Do you really want to defy _the Master_?" She whispered, dark hunger lurking in her velvet like tones.

It may be a simple question and one that can be easily answered, but it inspires such terror in Neo's blackened heart, that he stops dead in his tracks. Trembling in the fear that drips down his face and neck. "I-I'm sorry Laguna. I… I just got carried away. I-I'll return right away, I swear" He stuttered, for the first time this night.

"THAT'S IT DR FOOT!" Drago screamed, balancing on his right foot while holding his left out before him. "KILLING YOU BOTH!" He added, cocking his right arm, the way he would a shotgun, before unleashing a massive Aura Wave from the one hand. His left foot is quickly engulfed by the green light, as is his true enemy, who attempts to shield himself from the blast by crossing his arms before his face.

Screaming out in pain and falling to the ground, clutching his smoking foot, Drago cries out with anger. "WHO THE FUCK DID THAT?! DR FOOT NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Dragon Paladin emerges from the smoke left behind by the blast, his shirt and shorts lightly singed in places, while minor burns cover his flesh. "We'll finish this later, you drunken mistake between a Dragon and its trainer!" He wants to battle. To fight. To kill Drago, he wants it more than he wants even greater power… But not more than he wants to continue to exist, he has no choice. He must obey his Master. Tearing a second portal, he turns to Eis, snarling angrily. "Are you comin' or what?!"

The all but forgotten former threat to Lumiose sprints as hard and fast as his legs will carry him, his Ghost type servant following close behind. Neither one of them gives even the slightest thought as to the punishment that undoubtedly awaits them on the other side of this gateway to Hell, even as they leap through it and return to their Master's side.

Stealing one last glance at the one who took his legs so long ago, Neo's hatred compels him to make one last spiteful comment. "Knight scum" With his final words spoken, he too enters his portal and removes the Barrier, that acted as a floor, completely.

Luminous green pulses wash across Drago's damaged foot, healing the intense burns and restoring his limb to its former glory. His healing pulses end not a second too soon, as the ground vanishes beneath his back and ass. "AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" He screamed like a girl, momentarily forgetting he has the power to fly. "I DON'T WANNA GO TO SCHOOL TODAY!… Oh yeah, we can fly" Extending his wings out, he catches the air and joins the battle raging below, searching for the rare and elusive Mickey Mouse.

"I believe I can fly… I believe I can piss on the sky, I think about it every time I shit. Grab my dick and piss away~" He sang, firing off explosive blasts of Aura into groups of Paladins, as well as anything that catches his eye. Completely forgetting his battle with Neo in an instant. "I'M OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND!"

* * *

 **AH! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M FREE!**

 **WHO MURDERED DR FOOT?! He was an angel, bound in foot form! YOU MONSTER!**

 **The Invincible Monster of the Forest has fallen and hit his head, pretty bad too, he's gonna have a big ass headache if he's still alive… Falling a thousand feet'll do that to ya.**

 **Anyway, next chapter is already done and almost ready for posting, I'll stick it up next week. Then,** _ **finally**_ **this arc will be over and we can move on with the rest of the fic! HOORAY!**

 **Until next time guys, drop a review, blow somethin' up, play pattycake with someone you're meant to be fighting, do whatever you guys wanna do! Screw the consequences!**

 **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FOOT, AND THEN YOUR FACE!**

 **Now time for me to "talk" to Guess Who, since he's been a mother fucker and changed his number so I can't yell at him properly.**

 **Guess Who… That's nice? THAT'S FUCKING NICE?! YOU SON OF A MOTHER FUCKING BITCH! (Deep calming breath) You have until the next time I see you, to live. Because I am going to waste your smug ass slowly and painfully.**

 **Oh that's right, you don't know yet, do you? I got a promotion at work, I'm not a shelf stacker anymore, I'm a butcher… Don't believe me? Check your Gmail, bitch. (Runs finger across the length of a meatcleaver, then tosses it aside) It ain't the meatcleaver ya need to worry about, it's the filleting knife.**

 **I'll make a nice fillet of you, bitch. I'll serve you up on the meat counter, no one'll ever know. Hehehehehe…**

 **And why the fuck are you talking so weird? You've never spoken like that in your life and you know it! Quit showin' off for your non-existent bitch!**

 **No. I wasn't angry with your shit excuse for trolls; I was pissed with you trying to declare my fic dead. And if you had just confessed to your crimes, I wouldn't be** _ **nearly**_ **as angry as I am now. You. Stole. My. Notes. First you fuck with my Gmail, and then you steal my notes?!**

 **WHAT?! YOU DID THIS SHIT FOR** _ **THAT**_ **?! Dude you say I'm fucked in the head, but you are way worse!**

 **Since you're being a dick and ignoring me, I've got no choice but to answer here… Dude, it was new year's eve. I didn't even drink! Hazzer, Umpalumpa and Stoner were the ones gettin' wasted, I wasn't even drinking!**

 **I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS YOUR SISTER DUDE! Bro's before hoes, you think I did that shit on purpose?! We all thought it was fucking hilarious, you were the only asshole who got his panties in a twist over it! And talk American in the reviews, most people who read this are American!**

 **If you hadn't of been late bringing us our ride home, it wouldn't have happened! If you had actually introduced us all to your sister, it wouldn't have happened! If you told us her real name, it wouldn't have happened! It's not like I was tryin' ta get in her pants! That was Hazzer! But you don't do this shit to her!**

 **Dude you can expect payback to be swift, and vicious. You are gonna know fear. Hehehehehe, AND STOP STEALING MY LAUGH!** _ **I'M**_ **the one who goes "hehehehe" not you!**

 **YOU STOLE MY OUTRO! MY MOTHER FUCKING OUTRO! YOU ARE A DEAD MAN! NO ONE FUCKS WITH MY OUTRO!**

 **I'M GONNA PLOUGH YOUR SISTER AND TAKE A PICTURE OF HER FACE, AS SHE SCREAMS "DRAGON!" THEN SEND IT TO YOU! YOU'LL SEE HER SEXY FACE AS I FUCK HER!**

 **Sorry to anyone who read this shit and has been offended, Guess Who is actually a good friend of mine, who thinks he's a troll master. Dude your trolls still suck balls. We do shit like this to each other all the time, all five of us, it's all in good fun. But stealing my notes ISN'T and he WILL pay for it! Mwu Hahahaha!**

 **Dragon out!**


	14. The Battle of LC - Part 5 Finale

**Chapter 14: The Battle of Lumiose city – Part 5 Finale**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Dragon is back! And this time he's brought the final Chapter in this Arc with him! At long last, this Arc is done! HALLELUJAH!**

 **Shoutout to Mr Awesome. Thanks for the review, and if you didn't block me, then I could have spoken to you about it like an adult. Your fault, not mine. Am I pissed? Yes. Yes I am. You can't run forever, you have to come back sometime and I'll be waiting. So you saw that part too eh? Fine. I accept your OC for the Ground Master. I'll fill in the blanks myself, you can expect to see Terra next chapter. You want him to shoot Drago in the face? I actually like that. A lot. Sure, that'll happen. Am I gonna hurt you? Maybe. Come back to town and find out. Every time you steal my laugh AND my outro, you make what is to come even worse.**

 **Thanks to Wolf for being the best Beta Reader in the world! Without his help and guidance, this fic wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is and will be!**

 **This chapter and the last, haven't exactly been my best work, but I was under a heavy time restraint. I had to get them done as quickly as possible guys, so that's why they're not that good. Sorry about that.**

 **Disclaimer: (Sharpens a meat cleaver against a grindstone) I don't own Pokémon, but I do own** _ **lots**_ **of sharp things. Hehehehehe.**

* * *

 **Previously**

Eis met his humiliating defeat at the talons of the Invincible Monster of the Forest, but at the cost of what remained of Lumiose city. The Monster destroyed it all, sparing only those who knew to submit to him and his rule as Alpha.

Eis managed to survive, he was saved by the Dragon Fear Master, Neo, who couldn't resist the challenge the Monster presented. However, the Monster proved his legend to be based on truth, as no matter what Neo did, he recovered and hit back twice as hard. Another Knight joined the battle, one whose appearance resembles that of a Dragon.

Angered by the presence of another Dragon, Neo eliminated Primal Red, who fell one thousand feet through the air, onto solid concrete. Now the battle of Lumiose is in its final hours.

* * *

A figure stands amidst the rage of war, unaffected by the chaos and death that rages on around him in all directions. It's as though he is alone, separate from these acts of horror and pain and cannot be harmed by any of them. A black leather hood covers his head, casting a shadow down across his eyes, shielding them from sight, the bottom half of his face is covered by a matching black cloth, concealing his identity from prying eyes. Armor covers his torso and upper arms, the same as his hood, this too is black leather. Unlike his protective hood, this armor is covered with protective pads that also act as small, throwing knife holsters. Black leather gauntlets protect his arms, going up past his elbows, while plain black finger and thumbless gloves shield his hands, but also reveal his light skin. Shoulder pads, designed to both protect the joints they cover from harm, but also hold a small black cape in place, which doesn't go past the end of his spine. Not simply for show, this cape covers small packs attached to his belt, and gives him an insight as to the intentions of others. A quiver of black wooden arrows, fletched with Murkrow feathers, with a nasty stainless steel barbed head, lies over his cape, holding it down and stopping it from fluttering to greatly in the breeze. Finally, black leather boots that climb up to the knee, cover and protect his feet and shins, lacking any sort of sole, they make no sound as he treads the earth. Clearly these are designed for someone, who knows the value of stealth.

This man in black stands at the edge of a tomb like crater, filled with rubble, gravelised concrete and blood. Standing at his side, with steel plating covering his lightning bolt shaped tail, a Pikachu stares into the same pile of death and destruction. _"I don't think he's in there. My eyes aren't burning and I can still smell. Usually his stench is so strong, it kills my nose and burns my eyes out when I get this close"_ Pikachu said, a mischievous smirk across his face.

His human partner ignores these comments about their brother's sense of hygiene, disregarding them as nonsense. Crouching down at the edge of crater, he slowly and carefully lifts away the chunks of shattered concrete, treating each and every one as though it's made of glass and worth his weight on gold.

" _But then again, who is else is stupid enough to fall from the sky without a parachute? Red's the only…"_ Catching the sight of his brother's sharp glare, he falls silent, taking the advice of the less than subtle hint, before helping him dig through the gravesite.

But it's not a gravesite, because Red can't be dead, he must still be alive, this is only a setback for him. He's the toughest of a bitch there is, nothing can fucking kill him! He has survived far worse than this, not just on one occasion, and he's going to do it again! This is what he does, he fights and fucks himself over, but he always gets back on his feet, today will be no different.

The Electric mouse gasps in horror, at the sight they have unearthed, while his partner in black simply holds back for a moment, analysing what they have uncovered. Red's broken body is soaked to the bone in his own blood, the protective armor that shielded his body is gone, taken away by the transformation back to his base form. He has only his tattered robes to preserve his dignity, what's little's left of it. He's… In a phrase, a bloody mess. Bone protrudes from ragged flesh all across his body, spilling his blood across anything and everything near it. His limbs lie crushed against the ground, broken by the impact and flattened by the fallen concrete. Blood pours from his split flesh, but also flows out from his every orifice. Across his blood soaked face, determination has been written. Determination to stay alive. His right hand lies frozen in place, clawing into the gravel, despite being broken and bloody. It's truly a sight to behold; he must have awoken after falling and tried to pull himself out. His will to live so strong, that he was able to force his shattered body to move. Now _that's_ determination, coaxing a body with a shattered skeleton and shredded muscles to move.

To anyone else, it would be an inspiration. But these two can only see the pain he's in, the suffering he has endured, and the long and painful road to recovery that lies before him. If such a road is even possible. _"Holy shit… Is he alive?"_

That's the question, is it not? Is Red still alive?

The figure holds his hand out against the fallen Knight's mouth and nose, hoping to feel the heat of his breath against his flesh. There is little-to-no chance that Red is still alive, the human body is not designed to survive such injuries, but he must be certain before he declares his old friend dead.

A faint waft of heat rolls past the fallen Knight's lips, warming the figure's fingers faintly. While this man is greatly surprised and shocked by this unexpected discovery, his shows no outer signs of emotion, remaining cool and calm. He must be mistaken, there's no way this man is still breathing, when blood falls out from his mouth… But if blood is still dripping out, maybe his heart is still pumping blood through his body? He must be certain.

Carefully, so as not to risk causing his friend even further harm, the man in black presses his fingers against the Warrior's exposed neck, searching for a pulse of life. He finds that which he hopes to detect fairy quickly, while it is weak, there can be no doubt that Red's heart continues to beat. He's still alive. Just how he survived such traumatic injuries this long, is a mystery, but the fact remains, he is alive and in desperate need of help.

With a swift and courteous nod of his head, the man answers his starter's question. The Electric rodent stares at his brother, unable to believe the fact that their friend is still alive, turning back to the bloody mess that is supposed to be Red, he speaks. _"Holy crap… I know he's a tough son of a bitch, but… I don't even recognise him, he looks so different. But it's gotta be Red, Charizard and Blade are here, and no one else is_ _that_ _powerful when they go Super Saiyan. Hey look, I think his neck's broken. Mr Personality, would you be so kind as to heal it?"_

The male says nothing, for these is no need for words. Retracting his fingers, he replaces them with his hand against the back of Red's neck. Midnight blue pulses of light run across the broken body and severed spine of Red Ketchum, somewhat healing the worst of his injuries. He is no healer, he lacks the skills, expertise and experience needed to completely repair this mess, but he knows enough to save Red's life. That's all he needs. The young Warrior groans out, as pain returns to his short list of sensations once again.

" _IT'S ALIVE!"_ Pikachu cried out, raising his paws up high.

Having done all that can be done; the healing pulses fade from the Knight's form, leaving him to awaken on his own. The figure is not finished with him yet though, he gently and carefully lifts Red's head from the rubble and uses his thumb to pull his mouth open. His throat must be dry as a bone, if not from simply not drinking all day, then from the dust that he has breathed in since lying here. A trickle of crystal clear water pours into Red's open mouth, the man may not have much left, but it's his. "You're stronger than this, you're a fighter" He whispered, his voice commanding and strong. "So get up, get up and fight"

The sound of a familiar and trusted voice, coaxes a response from the fallen Warrior. His eyes open a crack, revealing the deep blue shine of his eyes, his vision may be blurred to the point where he cannot see the world, for the colours, but he knows exactly who has come to his side. "B-brother?" He croaked.

" _HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT!"_ Pikachu cried out, leaping back with his cheeks sparking. _"THAT THING AIN'T HUMAN! IT FELL A THOUSAND FUCKING FEET AND IS_ _ALIVE!_ _KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE! QUICKLY! BEFORE IT EATS MY TAIL!"_ Unable to maintain the ruse of being scared any longer, the starter falls onto his back, kicking his paws out while laughing himself into an early grave. Believing his attempt at humour, hilarious.

" _They don't call him invincible for nothing, Pikachu"_ The black wolf Pokémon growled, making his presence known. _"If anyone can survive a one thousand foot drop onto solid concrete, it's Red"_

Countless questions burn throughout the Warrior's mind, where is he? How did he end up down here? Why are they here? How did they know where he'd be? These and similar questions beg to be free from the prison of his mind, but are pushed aside by a far greater thought. Serena. He promised to protect her. He can't lie here, he can't rest, he has work to do. "If I can… Breathe, then… I can… F-fight" He croaked.

"Let's get you out of here" The man in black said, nodding his head.

* * *

"He'll come. I know he'll come for us. He promised me he'd always stay with me" Serena cried, gripping the sword entrusted to her tightly against her bosom. While the act of holding a weapon against her heart does little in the ways of protection, it does make her feel warm, strong, as though he's right here beside her, holding her tightly and protecting her from the Darkness that now threatens them all.

Blade stands before the survivors, panting like a Herdier that took an Overheat head on. He's beyond exhaustion, the sudden and abrupt increase, and then decrease, in power from his Master's transformation has left him practically unable to stand. Willpower and determination are all that keep him on his feet. What the Warrior Bug needs is time, time to rest and recover his strength, but now is not the time for rest, now is the time to fight and protect his Master's family.

" _Master entrusted his loved ones to me, he trusts me to defend and protect them. So I cannot, and absolutely… WILL NOT FAIL HIM!"_ He called out, focusing his energy.

A battalion of Grunts enters the sanctuary, each armed to the teeth with weapons and a large, curved shield, baring the skull symbol of the Paladins across its surface. This small, but deadly, force of Darkness is led by a much larger hulk of a man, while he greatly resembles the Sentinel that entered this protected ground when the battle began, there some key differences. Unlike the Sentinel who came, this one bares armor resembling that of a Dragon, scaled and leathery, and armed with a sword so large any normal person would require two hands to wield it, but Paladins aren't normal people, and a Sentinel can wield almost any weapon in one hand.

The forces of Darkness laugh at Blade's declaration of courage and duty, believing him to be no threat whatsoever, at least not in his current condition. "I'll deal with this rabble personally" The Sentinel said, raising his sword and running his finger across its edge. "You can clean up, after I'm finished"

Blade, the Pincer Pokémon raises a Metal Claw in the name of his Master, failure is not an option. His Master trusted him and he _will_ prove himself worthy of that trust!

The Draconic Paladin wastes not even a moment, going straight for the kill. With a mighty swing of his sword, he attempts to behead the Bug/Steel type, but the wise Pincer Pokémon has been trained too well for something like this to work. Reflexively using Iron Defence, he boosts his defences by turning his exoskeleton to solid steel. The colossal blade collides with the steel shield with a loud clang; unable to cut through the metal, all it does it knock the Warrior Bug into unconsciousness. Falling to the ground, Blade's shell returns to its true crimson colour, losing the strength it gained.

"Ah… What was the point of that? All it did was prolong the inevitable" The Sentinel scoffed, raising his blade high above his head, with the point aimed down between Blade's eyes. To execute the proud Warrior, on the spot. "Now you die, by my hand!"

A howl echoes throughout the battlefield, making its way to the park turned sanctuary, but rather than sounding menacing and foreboding, the sound is rather peaceful and calming. The forces of Darkness all turn their heads, searching for the source of sound that enthrals their feeble minds. "What're you idiots doing?! Focus!" Upon the command of their leader, every Grunt abandons their search and returns their focus to the cattle ready for slaughter. "Hello… What's this 'ere then?" The Sentinel said darkly, with keen interest.

Lily is once again standing, her staff held tightly between her trembling hands. Her breath is heavy and sweat rolls down her armorless form, her dampened robes hug her body so tightly, they leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. Confusion clouds her scrambled mind, a million questions float around her head, each and every one of them seeking an answer. But they must wait until this is over, for now her duty is clear; defend those who cannot defend themselves. Just as Blade protected her family and new found friends, she will now do the same for him.

Deming the unconscious Blade no longer a threat, the Sentinel steps over his body to turn on Lily. A devious grin plastered across his face.

" _Please Lily, stand down! You don't need to die"_ Lucario pleaded, tears in his eyes.

"We're gonna die anyway Grampa, but I'm gonna at least die like a Knight" Lily panted, raising her staff and charging what little power she has left into it.

Those who cannot fight stand together, behind those willing to give their lives for theirs this night. "I know he's coming, Red's coming, I can feel it. He'll save us… He promised to protect me" Serena whispered, the glow of her sword shinning brighter with every word.

Rose pink light swells within the crystal atop Lily's weapon of choice, indicating her final attack is as strong as it's gonna get. With a rather embarrassing excuse of a swipe of her staff, an Aura Bolt is born and fired through the air. The Bolt crackles through the air, shinning half as bright as every other she has produced through the day.

Is that it? _This_ is the best the Knight can do? How disappointing. With nothing but a swipe of his free hand, the Sentinel disperses the Bolt into harmless sparkling light, barely even noticing the burn of its touch against his flesh. That one attack took everything Lily had left in her, and it did nothing… Her eyes roll back into her head, as she collapses from exhaustion, unmoving and still. The muscle bound Paladin raises an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden surrender to fatigue. Using his sword, he rolls her onto her back. "Oooh, this one's got a pretty fit body. I'll be sure to have some fun with you, before you die"

The Aura canine steps forwards, his Bone Rush walking stick once again held out as a weapon, with tears shimmering in his crimson eyes. He is a Knight damn it! His days of glory may be behind him, but that doesn't change the oath he swore, just as every other. To protect those whose strength is not great enough to protect themselves, to use his powers for the good of man and Pokémon alike, to destroy Darkness wherever it can be found and to give his life for this cause! Age doesn't change this oath! Nothing will ever change that!

" _I used to make sport out of killing your kind, Dracanoid, if you so much as think of touching my Granddaughter again. You won't live to regret it"_ He snarled, a blue hue surrounding his fur and now stiff head appendages.

The Dracanoid Sentinel smirks, amused by the elder's attempt to be both brave and strong. "So you know what I am, eh old man?" Stepping over the defeated Lily, paying her the same attention as he did Blade.

" _You are a Dracanoid Paladin, human born but raised to be a Fear Master's slave since birth. Based on your typing, I'd say you serve a Dragon Fear Master. A strong element, but not that strong"_ Lucario snarled.

"Well well well… I found a clever dog. What's your name old man?" The Sentinel smirked, stopping his advance and crossing his arms. Making no attempt to attack.

" _Former, Master Lucario. Partner to former Fire Master, Ignus"_

"Ah, so you were once one of the strongest men in the world" The Sentinel replied, frowning and sarcastically nodding his head. "But not anymore. Now you're nothing but a pathetic has been, just like Eis" The blue hue of Aura surrounding the elder Aura canine begins to flicker, and his legs start to buckle. His body is far too old to sustain his powers for long; perhaps if he is kept talking for long enough, he'll keep over and die by himself. "For your information old man, my Master is the grand and glorious Dragon, Fear Master Neo. Address him as such… While _he_ rapes the girl in front of you!"

" _HOW DARE YOU!"_ Lucario screamed, focusing all his energy into a single swing of his club. His Ground attack barely connects with the Sentinel's cheek, grazing his flesh, but dealing no damage. The momentum of his strike pulling him forwards, he loses his footing and falls to the ground. Hard. In an instant the hue surrounding his form fades, taking with it his ability to breathe properly. He lies on the grass, struggling to breathe through the chronic fatigue that wracks his body.

"They're just lining up to die! But fall in their graves, before I can finish them off!" Both he and the Grunts that follow him erupt into a fit of maniacal laughter. Taking their focus off the battle and their immediate surroundings momentarily.

A moment is all that's needed, for a hard slap to connect with the Dragon armoured Sentinel's face and bring the laughter to an end. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY DAUGHTER YOU ANIMAL! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY DECENCY?! SHE IS A WOMAN, NOT AN OBJECT FOR YOU TO LEER AND LUST OVER!" An angry auburn haired mother screamed.

The Sentinel looks above the screaming woman, without shifting his head an inch, hissing a single word. "Kill"

A mighty behemoth of a Pokémon lunges forwards, its jaws comprising the majority of its head, larger than the average man is tall and strong enough to tear through steel like paper. Crimson scales cover its body, with a large orange crest between its black and white eyes and a frill comprised of white feathers surrounds the back of its neck. It resembles a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus-Rex, but somehow more menacing and fearsome.

The dinosaur like monstrosity obeys its Master's command, snapping its powerful jaws down onto the mother, who dared to show the Dragon disrespect. In the blink of an eye, she is devoured whole.

Those who cannot defend themselves, but still retain their consciousness, scream as the Tyrantrum lifts its head and swallows the woman they all knew, and whom Serena almost thought of as a friend. There's nothing that can be done for her, she's already gone.

A toothy grin across his sick face, the Sentinel speaks. "Good boy. Mothers are such an irritating nuisance" Rubbing and patting his loyal Dragon's crest, who grumbles back in appreciation.

The honey haired woman remains frozen to the spot, staring at the earthly remains of Delia Ketchum… Her left arm lies amongst the grass, snapped off from the whole, just beneath the elbow. Ragged flesh hangs from the crushed bone. She's gone. Just like that. One bite and she was just… Gone. Dead. She didn't even have the chance to scream or feel fear. It was over in a flash… She was there one moment, and then gone.

"Serena! We gotta go! We can't stay here, we need to run! Come on let's go!" Clemont begged, clutching her arm and shaking her to attention. His younger sister clutches his leg, looking up at the same woman him, also pleading for her to go with them.

Run? Run away? It'd be so easy to go, to just turn around and run as far and fast as her legs will carry her, to keep going until they reach somewhere safe. There has to be somewhere safe within the ruins of the city, somewhere else they can call sanctuary… Delia's dead. And Blade, Lucario, Lily, they're all as good as dead too… What's the point of staying?

Staring into the crimson glow of the blade within her grasp, she finds an answer… _"Never surrender"_ The words of her Master come to her, whispering in her ear and caressing her sensitive skin… Red would never surrender, if he was here, he'd stand and fight. Nothing would stop him from protecting his friends, Mew herself couldn't hold him back if a friend needed his help… Nothing stopped him, from rescuing her.

"Master… Please, help me. I need you here, beside me" She thought. A tear falls from her eye, falling to her hands and dripping onto the hilt of the weapon. While the one she seeks cannot answer her call, the blade in her hands can. The bond between man and weapon is far greater than mere sentimentality; the two are bound together both in life and in death, as one and the same. Just as Red could caress her flesh, whisper sweet words into her ear, touch her heart, so can this blade.

The glow surrounding the sword shines brighter upon the touch of her tear, focusing itself into a flow, a flow of light that spreads from the hilt and wraps around her hands. Heat warms her fingers, as though another set of hands lie atop hers, helping her to hold the blade and giving her the strength she needs.

"No. No I'm not going" She said to Clemont, staring him down with a pair of glowing blood red eyes. "I may just be an Apprentice, but I'm still an Aura Knight and I _won't_ disgrace my brave Master, who gave everything to protect us, _all_ of us, by running away from the first battle I've ever been in"

Feeling new courage burn within her beating heart, she turns her glare to the Sentinel and raises her weapon up high. The heat of a body presses into her from all angels at once, as though Red stands alongside her, helping her to find both her form and her true strength. "Master, I know you're alive… I'll make you proud. I promised to stab this sword into anything that gets close enough to hurt me, and I will" She whispered, somehow knowing Red can hear her.

"Stand down Tyrantrum" The Sentinel said, his curiosity peaked by the glow of the weapon. "Oi! Girl! Where'd you get that sword?"

"My Master gave it to me, so I can kill scum like you" Serena replied, a hint of bloodlust in both her voice and eyes.

Unfazed by her threat of death, the Dragon trained Paladin slumps his own blade over his shoulder and cocks his head at the teenage beauty. He may not know much about the Knights and their ways, but he knows that a weapon of Aura is linked to its creator, and if it is still physically present, able to be held in hand, then the one who forged it must still be alive. "So where is your Master hmm? Tell me now" He demanded.

On the surface, Serena may seem strong and feeling the desire to spill blood, but inside, she is screaming for Red to save her. To come to her side and rescue her. Petrified of the thought of having to fight and spill blood, or even worse, kill. But she has true courage within her heart now, she is strong enough to push her fear aside and maintain her tough façade. "He's on my ass, wanna kiss it?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her tongue.

Annoyed, but not angered, by her defiance, the Sentinel points his blade out to her heart. "If you don't tell me right now, I'll rip your heart out"

"You can take my heart, when you pry it from my _cold. Dead. CHEST!_ " She spat bravely.

Annoyance turns to rage within the twisted heart of the Paladin. He knocks the glowing blade from her hands with a swipe of his sword, sending it across the battlefield. "Last chance. Tell. Me. Where. He. Is" He snarled, pointing his blade out at her throat, while slowly closing the distance between them.

The moment the sword is separated from her hands, both the glow of her eyes and the heat across her body fade, and the fire of courage within her heart burns out. Leaving nothing to hold her building tears back, they fall from her sapphire blue eyes without sign of stopping. "I-I-I don't, don't know w-where he is. H-h-he left to f-f-fight Eis and h-h-hasn't come back" She cried, unable to stop herself from spilling her secrets.

The eyes of the Sentinel dilate in fear. She's lying. She has to be. Eis may be the weakest Fear Master alive, but he's still a force to be feared by anyone less than a Master. No normal Knight or Paladin would dare challenge him, unless they've got a wish for a slow and painful demise. Hell, there's only one stupid mother fucker who ever challenged him… But, but that can't be this guy. Can it? No. There's no way this girl is Apprentice to the Invincible Monster of the Forest, he's not even real, just an urban legend, the ramblings of a failure to cover his tracks!… But what if he's not? What if he's real and here?

So deep within his thoughts is he, that Serena's pleas for hers and the other's lives all go unnoticed. "What's his name?" He said, momentarily silencing her. "WHAT'S HIS NAME?!" He roared, pressing his blade against her throat.

"RED! RED KETCHUM!"

No. No it can't be. She's lying! He's not real, he can't be. He can't have just killed the Invincible Monster's mother… "You're lying. You're lying!" He roared, his sense of logic and reason, paralysed by fear.

"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGG-AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" A bellowing blur of red bursts out through the trees, trying to roar like a pained animal, but instead screaming in agonising pain. Every step it takes, makes it slide across the blood saturated ground, occasionally it falls, as though its feet cannot support its weight, but it claws its way back to its feet and resumes its sprint across the park.

Hope lights up the sapphire jewels of Serena eyes. "Red" She whispered, recognising the blur of red to be her friend, using his Aura Sprint powers.

"SHUT UP YOU LYING BITCH!" The Sentinel screamed, thrusting his blade forward, towards her gut.

The passage of time seems to slow for her, as the overly large weapon splits the air in two and sails towards her flesh. The hope dies within her rapidly dilating eyes, drowned by petrifying fear. It's over. The end has come for her, despite her best efforts and the efforts of all those who have fallen, she's dead.

" _ **GET AWAY FROM HER!**_ " Red screeched, leaping out from the blur of red light. Taking his physical form once again. Hurling himself forwards, he slams his shoulder into hers, pushing her away from the deadly weapon and into safety. But not without a cost.

Serena may have been spared from death, but now Red must feel its sting. The sword glides through his robes and the soft, bruised and already bleeding flesh of his stomach. Through nothing short of miraculous luck, the steel narrowly misses his spine, but nothing can stop it from stabbing through his back and into the trunk of the tree behind him. He howls in searing, agonising pain, as the entire length of the blade is forced through his flesh and into the wood of the massive plant. Blood spills from the wound and onto the hilt that now stabs into his stomach, dripping onto the hand of the Dracanoid Sentinel.

The sweet hearted teenage beauty that is Serena, falls to the harsh thump of the earth's touch, barely noticing the impact, feeling only intense and unbelievable relief. He came back for her, Red kept his promise and came back to protect her. The tears that fall from her eyes turn from sorrow, to joy, once again her oldest friend has come to her rescue when she needed him the most… The moment of bliss filled ignorance is gone with a beat of her aching heart, replaced by a sickly moment of dark regret. She was blinded by the joy of his return, she didn't see him take the sword that was meant for her, but now there are no rose tinted glasses covering her eyes. She sees first hand, the sacrifice her friend made for her.

"RED NO!" She wailed, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. His body convulses violently, his head throwing itself forwards, only to be smashed back again by the involuntary spasms. Blood floods from his mouth, the way water spurts from a fountain. But no matter how hard he shakes, the blade that has made its home within his flesh holds strong, refusing to move.

The Sentinel relinquishes his hold over his weapon, stumbling back and staring into the electric blue eyes of the Invincible Monster of the Forest… He's real. He's actually real… And impaled like any other human, he bleeds like any other mortal. The tales that accompany his name tell lies, they say he cannot be harmed by any mortal blade, it begs the question, how many more details have been embellished? "I've done it. I've killed the Monster" He said, a sick smile crawling across his face.

The man, who was a Monster only a short while ago, struggles against the weapon buried within his flesh. Attempting to grip the blade's hilt, but his broken and bleeding hands have no strength to grip anything, let alone pull a sword of this size and weight from solid wood. "I'm not dead yet, you sick son of a bitch!" He snarled, after spitting a mouthful of blood into the Paladin's face.

"Let me fix that" The Sentinel hissed, drawing a curved dagger. "Say goodnigh-uuuugggghhhh!" His words are cut short, ending with a gurgle of blood.

A single arrow, black with Murkrow feather fletching, pierces his neck and out through his throat. The knife falls from his hand, without so much as a drop of blood across its surface, as dry as the day it was forged. Not even a moment after his dagger, he too falls to the ground, blood pouring out from his throat as he struggles to draw breath.

Without their leader to corral and command them, the mindless Paladin Grunts panic and disperse, running around randomly and without cause, screaming like a litter of Tepiglets separated from their mother. It's not long before the lumbering dinosaur follows their example, stamping his massive around randomly, crushing anything unlucky enough to be in his path.

A screaming Grunt makes a break for Serena, seeing her as easy prey, swinging his sword out wildly and without aim. She turns to him, too stunned and scared by Red's act of selflessness, to take in the danger she is now in. Suddenly, the mindless creature of Darkness comes to a stop, dropping his sword and his shield to the ground. His hand slowly reaches for his most vulnerable area, his throat, while his eyes turn glassy and unseeing. Blood trickles out from between his fingers, dripping down his armor. His throat's been slashed, but by what? The Paladin doesn't have time to comprehend what happened, within seconds he hits the floor. Dead.

Through the high pitched wails, a howling scream of pain demands the eye's attention. Another Paladins lies on the ground, clutching her knee, which has been penetrated by another black arrow. Three more drop dead within the space of three seconds, each one stabbed through the heart by seemingly nothing.

"St-stand tog-together" The Sentinel rasped, using his final ounce of strength. Before breathing out his final breath, and moving no more. Suddenly, the screaming abruptly ends, each and every Grunt that is able to stand falls silent. Having been given a command by a superior, they are once again able to function as a unit. They corral themselves into a battle formation, on the defensive.

For the briefest of moments, both the trained eye of Red and the inexperienced, but eager eye of Serena, see a racing blur of black with a gleam of silver, run across the battlefield and leap into the air.

A slash of silver, a burst of crimson, and the terrifying Tyrantrum falls dead. His throat sliced from ear to ear.

The eyes of Lucario open once again, just in time to see an arrow like quill burry itself into the forehead of the screaming Grunt with an arrow in her knee. A large owl like Pokémon appears silently beside the body, seemingly from thin air. _"I cannot tolerate the presence of Darkness, away with you!"_ Decidueye called out, firing more arrow quills into the cluster of Paladins, reducing their numbers down to a single survivor.

The sole surviving Grunt trembles in his armor, knowing the end has come for him. "MERCY!" A blade is forced through the weakest point of his armor; the chainmail covering his throat, the tip of the weapon protrudes out from the nape of his neck. Whoever wields this dagger rips it free from the flesh of their prey, before vanishing into the shadows once again.

Blade rolls his head across the ground, as he too slowly regains consciousness, groaning from the fatigue and pain that grips him so tightly. _"Master? Are you there?"_ But all Red can do is grunt in pain and struggle against the sword, barely even aware of the world around him, including the mystery fighting who has come to their aid.

Like her Master and close friend, Serena barely notices the events that unfold around them; her attention is fixed onto the source of her crush's pain. The same thoughts constantly run through her mind. He took a sword through the gut for her. He chose to die in her place. He gave up everything for her… Making the ultimate sacrifice, so she might have a chance to live.

Tremors run through the earth, as the great fat lump, known simply as Charizard, drops from the sky, exhausted beyond measure and covered in the blood of his latest victim. His eyes rakes across the battlefield, taking in the carnage of the death and destruction, as well as seeing his brother ironically impaled onto a tree, the same way he himself impaled a Paladin when this battle began. _"I give ya a score of three for this mess. You get a five point deduction. You missed the Sentinel"_

"Most of my fucking bones are gravel. Cut. Me. Some. Slack!" Red snarled, momentarily giving up his struggle with the sword.

Rolling his eye at his brother's foul attitude, Charizard slumps down onto the ground, taking a well-deserved rest. _"Fuck no. Being half dead ain't an excuse for shitty killing"_

"Who the fuck, are you?" Lily groaned, pulling herself onto her knees, using her staff as a means of support.

All eyes turn to the one standing opposite to Red, no more than ten feet away from him, with a black recurve bow in hand and a matching arrow notched to its string. Aimed squarely at Red's vulnerable head. The man in black, who dug Red out from the tomb like pile of rubble, now threatens to end his life, without so much as breathing a single word.

Despite the overwhelming fatigue and pain that wracks her body; Lily tries to stand again, using her staff as a walking stick. "Put that fucking bow down, now"

The man in black ignores her, maintaining his dark scowl and strong stare into Red's eyes. The shadow that covered his eyes no longer shields them, and their deep blue sheen can now be clearly seen. Rather than feel threatened by the weapon in his face, the teenager who has suffered far worse than most ever will, is relieved to see it again. "Some things never change" He murmured, spitting out more blood.

Although pinned against a tree and in agonising pain, Red smirks at his old friend. Ignoring his agony, he pulls his left hand across his chest and onto the back of his right collar. Pressing his finger into the beginnings of one of the deepest scars across his body, he slowly pulls it up and over the point between his neck and shoulder, tracing the deep and old battle wound. "Live free"

For a moment, the man dressed in nothing but black, simply stares into the eyes of Red, eventually lowering his bow and sheathing his arrow. Satisfied that this man is indeed the man he has been searching for. He places his right index finger onto his left shoulder, pulling it across an old and deep scar across his chest, running from his left shoulder down to the right pectoral muscle. "Die well, brother"

A Pikachu races across the grass, leaping over the bodies of the dead with his eyes set on a single target. He chants a single word, repeatedly. _"Mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine!"_ Pouncing onto the body of the fallen Sentinel, he swiftly liberates the arrow from the dead flesh. _"Mine"_ Climbing up the black armor of his partner and onto his left shoulder, he offers the weapon to him. _"Your arrow maestro"_ The man in black takes the arrow from his paws without a word, stowing it back in its quiver. The Electric starter steals a glance at the blood soaked face of Red, nodding his head slightly as he does. _"Are you happy now Mr Personality? Charizard's here, Blade's here, there's a glowing red sword over there and now he's done that special greeting you guys do… Now do you believe me? That guy is Red,_ _our_ _Red"_

The man who affectionately referred to as 'Mr Personality' by his starter, nods his head. Confirming what the Electric type already knew, that the man they have been seeking for so long, is indeed impaled onto a tree in front of them. _"OK then… HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT! Red, what the fuck happened to you man?!"_ Pikachu cried out, shocked by the changed he now sees in Red's form. _"You don't look anything like… Well_ _you_ _. I couldn't smell you from a mile away, and you're actually_ _clean_ _! Well, clean for you anyway. What happened? Did Maw Maw finally give in and use Psychic to make you take a bath? Or was it Nibbler giving you the baby doll eyes?"_

"R-Red, do you know these guys?" Serena asked.

He turns to her, choosing to answer her question before Pikachu's. "Yeah… You could say that. Pikachu… SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU LITTLE RAT!" Pointing his hand out at his Apprentice, he continues. " _She_ happened to me! She made me take a fucking bath and tortured me with something she called, a makeover. And I didn't fucking stink that bad!"

Attempting to make use of his pang of anger, he tries to grip the sword again, but as before, his hands slide off the surface of the hilt. "For fucks sake! Mother fucking hands, work!" He complained, angered even further by this failure.

Finally able to pull herself back to her feet, Lily's eyes shift between the two men still standing, confused by the interactions between them. "Hey. The rest of us don't know who these guys are and we can't understand that Pikachu. If you know 'em, tell us who they are already"

Red momentarily abandons his frustrating attempts to remove that which slowly steals the life from him, to snarl at his sister by blood. "FINE! His name's Mason! He's a Knight like us, but he ain't a mother fucking Apprentice! He ain't no shittin' Mage or Warrior either, he's a Shadow! Probably the last one left! I met him fuck knows how long ago, tried to kill him, but got my ass handed to me! We've been friends ever since, Hell he might as well be my god damn brother! I haven't seen him for fuck knows how long, 'cause I told him to get the fuck out of the forest and never to come back! Pikachu's bitching and moaning 'cause I look and smell different! That big bird bastard's with 'em too! Now can I _**please**_ get this mother fucking sword out of my gut before it kills me?!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, giving no thought as to the secrets he has inadvertently blurted out.

The fully evolved Fire starter shakes his head, his palm colliding with his face as he groans. _"Way ta keep the secret Boss"_

Much like his brother of Fire, Blade sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. _"Six winters Master, we met Mason six winters ago and we haven't seen him for two… You had to reveal his identity, didn't you? You know you are supposed to call him Shadow"_

" _YOU MORON!"_ Pikachu growled, leaping onto the hilt of the sword with his cheeks sparking. _"YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL ANYONE HIS NAME OR THAT HE'S A SHADOW! YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR MEMORY WIPED?! 'CAUSE I WILL FRY YOUR TINY BRAIN UNTIL YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO TAKE A SHIT RIGHT!"_

The man now known to be Mason, finally averts his gaze from Red and towards the others, as if only just noticing their existence. "You trust them?" He asked his brother.

"GET OUT OF MY FACE YOU LITTLE RAT!" The wounded Warrior spat, head-butting Pikachu out of his face, dealing more damage to himself than the Electric type. "UGH!… Little shit. Yeah, I trust 'em. Except those two" Gesturing towards the shell shocked Clemont and Bonnie. They lie on the ground, the older of the two trembling in fear, while the sweet little girl stares at them all with stars in her eyes. "Do whatever the fuck you want with 'em, I don't give a shit"

From the relative security of the ground, Pikachu rubs his sore nose and mutters a cure upon Red's immortal soul. _"How'd you put up with this dipshit, Fat Ass?"_

" _Food helps"_ Grumbled the Fire starter, pulling himself back to his feet.

The deep blue eye of Mason turns from the busty blonde, who happens to be Red's twin sister, to the golden haired siblings. Their faces are foreign to him, neither Red nor his Pokémon have ever said anything about knowing anyone with golden hair. Honey blonde and light blonde yes, but not golden blonde. They're obviously not friends of theirs, if they were; Red'd have asked him to spare them both just as the he did the others. The question now is, what to do with them? The girl, she can't be any more than nine. Too young, far too young to be somewhere like this, but somehow she has survived and seems no worse for wear. A remarkable feat in itself. The other, the resemblance between the two is unmistakable, they must be direct siblings. His age is of no concern, he's clearly and adult and able to pay the price for his crimes. But none of this helps answer his question, what to do with them… They both heard his true name and know what he is, even if they're ignorant to the Knights and their ways, they still know he is a Shadow. This cannot be allowed.

Either their memories must be erased, or they must die.

Serena, the Knight Apprentice, manages to find her feet once again, while she is scared and confused about what's happening, she has faith in Red and his judgement. If he trusts this… Mason? Then she won't question him and will place her own trust in him as well. However, none of this changes the fact that Red has a sword stuck in his gut, and it _is_ killing him. She has to do something to help him, just like he helped her. "Red… C-can I help? Please?" Her trembling hands timidly reach for the weapon that was meant for her flesh, not his. She truly has no desire to cause him further pain, all she wants is to take it from him, but she knows there's no way to prevent it. In order to take away his pain, she must first make it worse.

Red's lips part to speak, but his words are stolen by another, before he can finish. "Serena…"

" _Serena?_ _The_ _Serena? The bitch you've been goin' on about?"_ Pikachu asked, staring at the teenagers. _"God damn, she's hot. Bro, tell me you're tappin' that fine ass"_

His question shocks the building blood within Red's mouth, back down his throat, making him choke. Spitting both the blood and the words he meant to say before out of his mouth, he regains the ability to speak. "Shut your furry mouth you little rat! Before I stick you up Charizard's ass!" He snarled, turning red in the face. While he isn't well versed in slang terms, he is well aware of Pikachu and the way he phrases certain things, to avoid being punished by some of the more prudent members of the Clan Red calls family.

" _I'll take that as a no…"_ Pikachu said, rolling his head across his shoulder, looking away from them both.

" _FUCK NO! YOU AIN'T DOIN' NOTHING LIKE THAT TO ME EVER AGAIN!"_ Charizard roared, petrified by his brother's threat.

Muttering a less than appreciate term, Red quietly flips his brother of Fire off and then attempts to remove the blade from his flesh, yet again. But the result is the same as before, his broken hands fail to get even the slightest of grips. Something like this can't, and won't, stop him from trying again. And again. And again… It's pitiful, for all his strength, all his power; he fails to do even the most basic of tasks. Muscles cannot do their job without sturdy, unbroken bones on which to pull against. Broken bones provide no strength or standing, they're virtually useless until they heal.

It's killing her. Watching him struggle with this, knowing she can do something to help him. "Red stop, you can't do it. Your hands are…" Shattered. Crushed. Flattened. Useless. What word best describes the effect the injury has left him with?

"Yes I can!" He countered, too proud to accept the limitations of pain and his damaged body. "I can do it! _I_ _can!_ " But no matter how hard he tries, the steel will not yield to him.

The Knight of Shadow glares at the golden haired siblings, silently deciding their fate. The girl, she's just a child, an innocent amidst this chaos, probably blissfully unaware of the true nature of the events that transpire all around her. At worst she may think this is a nightmare, a bad dream that'll soon come to an end and all will be well again. Or perhaps she believes this is all make-believe, that at any moment all the people and Pokémon who have died, will get back up again and laugh. How could she know the truth, or understand it? She probably has no idea what the Paladins are, the evil they spread or what this attack signifies.

It's been one hundred and ninety years since the Eternal Master of Darkness was last destroyed, but an immortal being such as him cannot be contained within his prison for too long. Soon he will be free and Darkness will befall the world. What's happened today, the death, the destruction, it's nothing. What Red did in his Burst form, is nothing. Compared to what comes next.

The child cannot possibly know that the end has now begun… If she's here without her parents, alive, then that can only mean one thing. They're dead. If her memory is taken from her, then she'll be lost and alone in this place, confused and frightened. That is not an option, leaving a child in such a state. In this case, neither is killing, Mason is by no means a saint, but he would never knowingly harm a child. But perhaps there is another way, children are easily persuaded and manipulated, if frightened enough she may keep the information, regarding his identity, to herself. But that still leaves the issue of her brother, he is no child and must be aware of the battle in a sense that only an adult can know. While he is likely as ignorant as his sister as to what it all means, he is still aware of the battle and the lives it claims. No pity stirs within Mason's heart for this bastard; he's no child in need of protection and is a great risk to his security. But like his little sister, his fate is one that cannot be decided as easily as any other.

He could easily be all that little girl has in the world now, without him she'll be alone. Fuck knows what'll happen to her without him… It would seem that death is not an option for him either. Erasing his memory is still a perfectly valid option though, although, she's a child and will likely need to talk about the events she has witnessed this night, one day, when she's old enough to understand it all. Her brother could be the only one she has left to talk to, but if his memories are taken, then she may have difficulty in moving on from the mental trauma that she has undoubtedly felt. So it would seem, that memory loss isn't an option either, that just leaves intimidation into submission and silence.

So be it.

The eyes of the Shadow Knight, known only as Mason, gain a midnight blue glow across their surface, making them visible through the shadow cast by his hood and casting an air of intimidation across himself. A small, but lethal, blade enters his left hand's grasp, while small in size, it is perhaps more deadly than the weapon of a Sentinel, as it moves twice as fast as a normal sword.

The soft blue eyes of Clemont and Bonnie fix onto the dagger in his grasp, staring at the razor sharp edge that would glide through their flesh effortlessly. While Mason says nothing to either of them, his actions send a very clear message.

I can, and will, kill you both.

Young Bonnie clings to her brother, trembling lightly as the awe and admiration in her eyes, turn to tears. In an effort to try and sooth his little sister, Clemont pulls her in close and hugs her tightly. "Sir, I-I must respectfully a-ask you t-to put that… Knife, away" As if the fear within his voice were not enough to show the effect the tiny blade has on him, the growing dampness and stench from his groin leave no room for doubt.

The stench of fresh urine quickly makes its way to Red's sensitive sense of smell, alerting him to Clemont's fear. "Hey! If I was you, I'd keep my mouth shut about 'im. You tell anyone his name or that he's a Shadow, you'll die a slow and horrifying death. That big thing got lucky; he killed 'im quickly, you won't be" Clemont quickly responds to this new, and even more terrifying, information, by frantically saying they won't tell anyone and begging for Bonnie's life. Mason's eyes narrow sharply, silencing this pitiful display without breathing a single word.

Lily leans on her staff, turning it into a walking stick the same way as her Grampa uses a Bone Rush club, as a means to stand. Never in all her short life has she felt fatigue as powerfully as she does now, her powers over Aura seem to be weakened to the point that they seem to have forsaken her, leaving her unable to use even the most basic of her abilities. In time her powers will return, but for now she is alone. "Are you gonna pull that out, or do you wanna die?" She asked her brother, only now seeing that which the others have all noticed.

Abandoning the weapon yet again, the Warrior snarls angrily at his twin sister for her sarcastic comment. Unlike most who become the victim of his aggression, Lily is unfazed and not frightened in the slightest. She knows her brother would never deliberately harm her, so why would she ever be afraid of him? She was taken out of the battle before the Monster, that her brother truly is, was brought to the surface, consequently she has no idea of the damage he has caused or the true power that flows through his veins even now. Ignorance is bliss so they say, and in this case, it truly is.

"SHUT UP! I'd like to see you pull something this big out of yourself!" He snarled.

"Yeah well, I'm not stupid enough to get stabbed like that" She replied with raised eyebrows, ignoring the unintended sexual innuendo that her perverted mind heard. "Come on, pull it out and I'll see if I can heal it for you. I can't do anything while it's still in there" While her point may be valid and her case persuasive, it serves no purpose when used against a grouchy man, with a sword stuck in his gut and an ego even bigger than that of an Empoleon.

Reaching out for the blade that has been out of his hand for far too long, Red calls back the sword to his side, where it belongs. The Aura forged steel trembles against the earth and grass, responding to its wielder's calls but not returning to his hand. "Come on" He grumbled to himself, as sweat poured down his face. "Come on you son of a bitch! MOVE!" Anger is stronger than any pain and coaxes a far greater response from the sword; it returns his shattered right hand without even the slightest delay.

His crushed and bloodied fingers coil around the black hilt, while they lack their normal strength and resolve, they're still able to grasp the weapon that is part of them, as if they've taken no damage whatsoever. Heat surges through his hand as man and weapon are reunited once more. Sensing the damage within his hand, the ghost like flames that burn across the weapon filter from their source, to coil around Red's hand and arm. The sound of cracking bone breaks the partial silence that fills the area, while it churns weak stomachs; it brings a smirk to the Warrior's bloodied face. Each and every bone within his hand and arm reset back into place with a loud crunch, reforming into their original form and regaining their true strength. It's duty done, the flame like light returns to the blade and burns across its surface once again.

"Fuck… That's cool" Lily murmured, impressed by the power within her twin's sword.

" _Hey Boss! I found your other sword!"_ Charizard growled, holding up the respective weapon up high. The fall has damaged it, just as it did its master. The blade is cracked and chunks of it are missing, while the hilt is missing half its guard and the ghost like flames burn only half as brightly as before. _"Don't ask where I was hidin' it. Just don't"_

Red does as his partner asks and asks no question, he just reaches out for the weapon with his still broke left hand. Just like the right before it, this one responds to his call and returns to his hand, before restoring his limb to its former glory.

Heat surges through the Warrior's broken body, as though he has been submerged in an icy lake for hours and immediately tossed into a hot spring. Bringing a strange sense of relief and revulsion to him all at once, only now does he realise just how cold he really was, without his weapons by his side. But he cannot relish in this delightful feeling, not while there is still work to be done, not while war still rages. Returning his swords to the depths of his Aura, he is surprised to find the sense of warmth and completion remains, while weakened, it is still there.

Determination burning in his eyes, he clamps his hands down onto the blood soaked sword in his gut, the weapon that cuts his flesh and spills his blood. This will undoubtedly hurt. A lot. "I fucking hate Paladins" He grumbled.

Summoning what little strength remains within his body, he pulls against the Paladin blade with everything he has, spilling his blood even further and shifting his rupturing organs within his belly. Screams of agonising pain burst from his lips, but his hands do not slow in the slightest. Pain won't beat him, not now, not ever. His efforts are not without reward, the blade slowly ekes out from the wood of the tree as well as his flesh, bringing out with it a tiny glimpse of the flesh that comprises his organs.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! COME ON YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" He cried out, voicing the white hot pain that grips him. Unfortunately, even the freshly restored strength of his arms cannot prevail over the fresh blood that covers the hilt. His hands slide off, leaving him with even more pain than before. "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" He screeched in great frustration, and even greater pain.

The Knight of stealth and shadows appears before him, without anyone seeing him move so much as an inch. For a moment silence falls across the sanctuary, as the pseudo brothers stare at one another, communicating without the use of words.

"You wouldn't…" Red whimpered with terror in his eyes.

Grasping the hilt of the weapon firmly in his grasp, Mason utters four simple words. "Don't be a baby" With a single clean yank, Mason frees the weapon of Darkness from the confines of flesh and bone and tosses it aside, without so much as batting an eyelid.

The Warrior's legs are far too damaged to support his heavy weight, while it slowly stole the life from him; the sword was all that was keeping him off the ground. Now it is gone, nothing can stop him from falling to the cold, hard ground. Bleeding out like a stuck Tepig. "S-stay in there… Organs. D-daddy needs… Needs you" He whispered.

The lone Shadow is on him the second he collides with solid earth, pressing down on the large wound and beginning the healing process. Determined to save his brother's life, no matter the cost. Joined by both Serena and Lily, they each do their part in helping to save the man who holds a special place in their hearts. Charizard does nothing, besides rest his aching body. Somehow certain his brother will survive, just as he has survived countless other wounds of all shapes and sizes. Blade pulls himself back to his feet again, panting heavily. The muscles beneath his protective exoskeleton throb and scream for him to be like his younger, and far lazier, brother, to lie down and rest. But his mind refuses these base desires, the orders he was given still stand; he must defend and protect all who remain in this sanctuary.

" _Delia…"_ Whispered Lucario. An arm. No, not even that much of her remains, as a whole arm goes beyond the elbow. Half an arm, that's all that's left of her. The woman who gave him a home and treated him with not just kindness, but respect, even when he tricked her into doing what he wanted, is dead. Barely leaving enough of her earthly body to burry.

" _Master Lucario"_ Blade said, offering his pincer to his elder as well as his aid.

The aged Aura Canine accepts this offer of help without hesitation, rising to his feet once again. _"Delia… I'm so sorry you had to die"_ A tear falls from his eye, born from the memories of the woman, who was like the daughter he never had. Blade says nothing, for he did not know the fallen, to speak of her would undoubtedly cause unnecessary pain to those who did. However, he does bow his head in respect for the dead, silently praying that her soul be carried onto the other side safely and swiftly.

* * *

" _COME ON IN BOYS! THE PARTY'S JUST STARTING!"_ Hydreigon roared, having just blown a hole in the Barrier above the dead city.

Flames hotter than the surface of molten rock, burn their way through the Barrier's defences at ground level effortlessly, like it's nothing but a paper cup. A large brute of a man lowers his hand and enters the battlefield, his entire body covered by a rose red robe that conceals his face, baring the symbol of the Aura Knights across its back. A battalion of Warriors and Mages surrounds this man, each and every one of them armed with flaming weapons and marching with a Fire Pokémon by their side. Standing by his side as an equal, is a Zoroark, a large black and crimson fox like Pokémon, with armor covering his legs and stomach. A black Mega Stone sits within the belt line of this armor, granting its wearer the ability to Mega Evolve.

One of the Knights comes to him, bowing his head respectfully, before speaking. "Master Blaze, sir! Orders?!"

The Knight known as Blaze ponders the situation for moment, before answering his Knight. In normal circumstances the first priority should be, and always is, the civilian people and Pokémon, their safety. But Lumiose City is already dead, as are her people. There are none left to evacuate or protect. Good. They won't get in the way or impede his work.

Zoroark scratches at the earth, his long hair like fur brushing away the rubble. He is eager to join the fight and rip flesh from bone; it's been too long since he was able to feast upon Paladin flesh. _"I wanna maul somethin', anything"_ He impatiently growled, licking his fangs.

Having decided on the best course of action, Blaze addresses the Knights that follow him. "Disperse and destroy all Paladins, Pokémon, human and Drones alike. Leave no survivors" His voice cold and unfeeling; despite the fire that warms his soul.

"Sir yes sir!" The Knight responded. "Sir, what do we do in cases of possession, sir?!"

"Kill them"

The response he is given unsettles the Knight, he looks up at his Master uneasily, not entirely comfortable with the order he has been given. "Am I to understand sir, that we are to put the blade to our possessed brothers and sisters? Should we not try to set them free?"

"No" Blaze responded firmly. "I don't waste time on the weak, if they can't stave off possession, they're useless to me. Kill them. Even if they're your own mother. That's an order, Knight"

"Sir yes sir! You heard the Master men, we have our orders! Charge!" Each Knight raises their weapons high and charges off into battle, dispersing and shouting out their battle cry.

" _Hallelujah!"_ Zoroark shouted, eager to satisfy his unquenchable blood lust.

The man known simply as Blaze turns his attention to the tower top, his senses tell him that is where the greatest powers can be found. "Hmm… Neo, Drago, Eis and… Another? Mmm… That's interesting"

A pair of Knights approaches their Master, holding something small in their grasp. "Master Blaze! We found something you might be interested in" Said the first Knight. The second holds up a Spirit Shard, its crimson glow almost burning his hand.

Blaze quickly takes the Shard of Aura from his Servants, recognising it for what it is within seconds. "Good work Ernie, Bernie" He said, holding the glowing crystal to his eye. "Come with me, I might need your help with something"

Ernie quickly bows respectfully to his Master. "We live to serve you, Master"

Bernie bows too, but not as lowly as his brother. "What him said Master"

* * *

"Are you fucking serious? Mom's dead. Eis almost killed Lily, made me transform and then I wiped out this shithole?" Red grumbled venomously, leaning his forehead against the trunk of the tree he was previously impaled against. Mason says nothing, but nods his head, confirming their previous discussion to be true.

"FUCK! NOT AGAIN!" He growled, slamming his forehead against the bark in frustration. His memories of this night are spotty at best; the uncontrolled power of the transformation has stripped his mind of everything past the point where his heart came to a stop. The last thing he remembers, is hearing the voices of his family calling out to him, pleading with him to get up and fight.

"Be careful Red, don't hurt yourself again" Serena said compassionately, concerned for his safety.

"I'm fine. I've been healed" He growled back, resentful of the fact he had to be healed by another. While what he says is true and the worst of his injuries have in fact been healed, the rest of his body is still in a very serious condition. By all medical science, he should already be dead. The fact that he is not only alive, but standing without the aid of another is nothing short of a miracle.

"But… They couldn't heal _all_ of your wounds. You're still badly hurt Red" She timidly replied, afraid his anger will make him hurt himself again. Her hand reaches out and lightly takes his. "Please… Be careful" Tears shimmer in her swollen eyes, turning them to sparkling gemstones in the low light. The mere sight of them captivates the Warrior and calms the rage within his heart.

" _Hey Tarzan, I got present for ya"_ Pikachu said, sounding playful and mischievous. _"Stop staring at her big ass titties and look at me"_

Red's face lives up to his name, turning a bright shade of beetroot red. He turns to the Electric type, to deny that his eyes were lingering in places they shouldn't be, at least not when someone can see, but his tongue falls silent before it can push words from his mouth. He is not the only one to see the 'present' Pikachu has for him, Serena too sees the tiny Dragon held in Mason's hand.

"Awww" She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hands. At the sight of the tiny, defenceless and innocent little baby Gible, reaching out for the man he recognises as his friend and squeaking cutely. "He's so cute. Where'd you find this little sweet pea?"

The sight of the little one draws a genuine smile across Red's face, for a brief moment, the memory of the pain and hardship of this battle is lost. "Hey there little guy, I thought I lost you back there" He said, taking baby Chomp from Mason's grasp to cradle him in his arms. The baby Dragonling clings to the tattered crimson robes across Red's body tightly, desperate for the comfort of body heat to warm his cold blood, as well as the joy the comes from loving affection.

"Awww, he loves you. That's so cute" She cooed.

The man who seems to be unkillable tenderly pets the baby in his arms, making him squeak in joy. "I found him out there, all alone. We tried to… Find his Mama" Lifting his gaze to meet Mason's, his smile falls from his face. "She's dead. Isn't she?"

The Shadow Knight nods his head once, informing them both of the grim news. _"Yeah, Fat Ass lost his shit when you went Super Saiyan, and killed her. It wasn't pretty. But Robin Hoot over there managed to save 'im, we checked his memories and found a couple things. We saw he's attached to you, he's bonded with you, and that Garchomp named him Chomp"_ Pikachu said, in place of his trainer.

Petting Chomp a little more tenderly, Red sighs, he hadn't expected this turn of events. He hadn't expected Garchomp to be killed. He specifically told Charizard to _not_ kill her, for exactly this reason. Now an innocent child has to pay the price of their actions, he has to grow up without a mother, but not without a family to love and protect him. "Chomp… It's OK now, Big Brother's here for you" He said surprisingly gently, attempting to comfort the youngling.

"Chomp? You named him Chomp? Awww" Serena cooed again, itching to hold the little one herself, but not wanting to separate the two of them.

"No" Red said, shaking his head. "His Mama named him… Before she was killed. I'm all he's got left now, and I'm gonna take care of him, because he's my little brother now"

Cupping her hands across her mouth, Serena silently gasps, horrified that such a little baby could already have gone through that which most adults fear. "Oh my god. You poor little thing"

" _Tarzan, take good care of that little guy, and keep him away from Fat Ass. He's not gonna be happy about this"_ Pikachu said, concerned for the kid. His duty done, Mason turns away from the three of them, to retrieve his arrows from the fallen Paladins.

"Brother… Tell Decidueye I said thanks, you know he only listens to you"

* * *

"Mom?" Lily cried, her tears falling silently down her cheeks. She kneels before the earthly remains of her mother, her Grampa standing beside her, crying without impairment or hindrance. No. No this can't be her, it's can't be Delia Ketchum, she's here in the park. Safe and alive. She saw her just a little while ago.

" _Lily…"_ Lucario gently said, placing his paw on his Granddaughter's shoulder. _"I know this is hard, but we must be strong. We're not safe yet"_ Tears continue to fall from his eyes, dampening his fur. _"The battle isn't over yet, we need to get somewhere safe… We'll come back for her, and give her the proper burial she deserves"_

She looks away from the crimson eyes of her Grampa, back to the lifeless limb in front of her. Bury her? But she's not dead… Is she?

One of her closest friends watches from afar, as Lucario attempts to comfort her in her grief. Serena cannot even begin to imagine the pain she must be feeling. First she lost her friends Willey and Greninja, then she almost lost her brother and now she's lost her mother. This has been a horrific day for them all, but none have lost more than Lily and no one deserves a gesture of unconditional love like she does. "Red… I think Lily needs you"

No tears fall from his eyes, but there can be no arguing the pain written across his face. Silently he nods his head, clearly struggling not to let his grief overcome him as it has his sister. "Chomp, this is my friend Serena. She's going to take care of you for a little bit, OK? Big Brother has to… Help his sister" A series of cute squeaks from the baby are his response, coaxing a faint smile from his brother.

Carefully he passes on the precious bundle that is his new baby brother, to Serena, who's gentle and nurturing touch rivals his own. "Hell Chomp, I'm Serena" Her voice aches with grief, but she holds as strong as she can, knowing her friends are suffering far worse than she is. Chomp quickly grabs her blouse tightly, both for security and the precious body heat he craves so dearly. Her arms cradle him tenderly and lovingly, the way a mother would with her own child. "Let's go see Lily; I'm sure she'll want to see you. You little cutie pie"

Without even the slightest thought to how they will do it, the two teenagers go to Lily's side, before what remains of Delia. "Lily?" Red said, placing his hand on her shoulder and drawing her focus to him.

"Red… Where's Mom?" Her voice trembling and almost childlike. "Is… Is she really dead?"

Swallowing the pain that builds in his throat, he speaks very painful words. "Yeah… She's gone Lily"

Pain drills its way into Lilian Ketchum's gut, leaving a sickening feeling of cold emptiness in its wake. The pain of loss is no stranger to her, it has been within her heart for most of her short life, but it never been stronger than it is today. Because this time, those she has lost can't come back to her, they're gone for good. She'll never be able to lay eyes on them, never talk to them and never tell them she loves them. Her orbs of sight burst open like flood gates, soaking her soot covered skin in unspeakable pain.

Without even a second's hesitation, Red pulls his twin sister in for a tight and loving embrace. "Let it out Lily, let it out" Giving no mind to the part of him that despises displays of affection, he gently rocks her back and forth, to try and offer her some small comfort. Lily clings to her twin as tightly as she possibly can, as if scared he'll leave if she relinquishes her grip in the slightest.

Those who bear witness to this display of grief and pain say nothing, knowing it is not their place to offer comfort to their grieving hearts. No. What they need is time, time to come to terms with their loss and find a way to keep going. But now is not the time to grieve, now is the time to survive, later, when they are safe, they can mourn their losses.

"Look at me Lily" Red said, pulling away from his sister but placing both his hands on her shoulders and looking her dead in the eye. "We have to be strong. I know it hurts, it hurts so bad and it feels like it's never gonna end. But you have to be strong, _we_ have to be strong, if we die tonight, then her sacrifice was for nothing. You hear me?" Gripping her shoulders tightly. "Mom's dead. There's nothing we can do to change that, but we're alive, and there's people who need us. Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing. Be strong, be brave and live. Because she's not gone, not really, she's in our hearts. They all are, everyone we've ever lost, and while we live, so do they"

Pressing his hand against her chest, over her heart, he speaks again. "They're all in here Lily. Keep them safe and close to you"

"OK" She said, her voice trembling beneath her grieving heart. "We'll take her with us though"

"Damn right" He said, nodding his head. "No one gets lets behind"

"MICKEY MOUSE! I FOUND YOU!" Drago cried out, flying through the sky.

All eyes turn to the source of the sound, seeing the man who is both Dragon and human flying though the sky, but still far from them and their position. "What the fuck is that?" Lily asked, not believing her eyes are telling her the truth. Both Pikachu and Decidueye voice their dread, why did the Knights send Drago? Why not someone else? Why not someone who can actually do his job without blowing everything up?!

"Is that a person?" Serena asked, trying to determine the creature's origin.

"Is it like you guys? Does it have some kind of supernatural abilities? It looks like… A hybrid between Pokémon and human" Clemont asked.

"It looks like drunken mistake between a Dragon and it's trainer, _that's_ what it looks like" Lily said, finally believing her eyes, since others now see it too.

"I know who that guy is" Red said, certain of the strange creature's identity. "Master taught me about him and the others. She said I'd need to know. That's Drago, the Dragon Knight Master"

"THAT THING'S A MASTER?! YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME!" Lily screeched, unable to believe what her ears are telling her.

With a shake of his head, Red answers her. "No, that's the Dragon Master. His official title's, Knight Master Drago, the Mad Ass Dragon… He's completely fucked in the head, if you ever have to talk to him; ignore the shit he comes up with. It's nothing but the ramblings of an idiot, who lost what little sanity he had long ago"

" _Duh!"_ Pikachu sassed from atop Mason's shoulder. _"We fucking know what Drago is, moron"_

" _True, my Electric friend, but the others haven't had the… Experience, of meeting him. They don't know him or his antics, let Red speak, for their sakes"_ The Alolan Grass starter commented.

"What's a Master?" Bonnie asked, her innocence and naivety present in her voice, unaffected by the horrors she has witnessed this day.

Red's answer comes without thought, the pain the wracks his body affecting his resolve and ability to keep secrets. "The Masters are the closest thing the order has to living leaders; they guide us and interpret the will of the gods. There's eighteen of 'em, one for every element, Drago may be an insane mother fucker, but he's still the Dragon Knight Master"

"Holy shit… I heard he once tried to blow up the tower, Master told me a little about him then, but I never thought he'd look _that_ ugly" Lily said, disgusted by the sight of Drago.

A sudden and abrupt change in temperature makes the air grows heavy within their lungs, and sweat roll down their skin. Heat seems to fill the sanctuary, spilling in from an unknown source, within seconds the once cool park becomes comparable to the inside of an oven.

Charizard turns to his brother, looking confused by the unexpected warmth. _"Boss, why's it gettin' hot here?"_

"DDDDRRRRRAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKEEEEEEE!" An unknown voice screeched, answering the Fire Dragon's question and snatching the attention of every living thing in the area.

A great hulking figure, draped in a rose red robe, sprints through the field of fallen, and burning, trees, stepping on and over and the bodies of the dead, as though they're nothing but garbage and worthy of no respect. His robes flutter in the heat of the flames, coming loose and falling to the ground. A stream of grey hair reflects the glow of the fire, long enough to hang across his broad shoulders, yet his face is not that of a man old enough to go grey. Eyes as grey as a wolf's fur reveal the burning hatred and bitterness within his soul. Packing a very muscular build, his Caucasian skin is stretched tightly across the freakishly large mass of flesh beneath it. Rather strange and certainly unique 'armor' partially covers his form, starting at his shoulders; a pair of massive terracotta pot shaped sheets of steel provides protection. Crimson in colour, with the symbol of the Knights in their centre, white, surrounded by a backdrop of fire. His torso is mostly exposed to the elements, revealing a large black tattoo of the Knight's crest, or symbol depending on how you want to phrase it, across his chest and abdomen, like his shoulder pads, more tattoos of fire fill in the gaps of flesh. A pair of leather straps is all that covers his muscular chest, crossing across his pectoral muscles to hold his shoulder pads in place and connect them to his belt. Hanging around his neck, lays a large steel chain, not the chain of jewellery, a true chain meant to bind someone or something. Bands of steel run around his upper arms, one on each, beneath the plates of steel across his shoulders, while offering no protection, he feels they add to his style of strength. Leather gauntlets cover his hands and exposed arms, just past his elbows, while they offer little to no protection, they allow crimson steel plates a means to shield and guard his arms. Finally, leather hangs from his waist with more sheets of steel embedded onto it, with a red cloth used as a belt, which hangs down the front opening of his armor.

He strides across the earth as swiftly as a Spearow, his incredible size and stature having no effect on his agility whatsoever. So fast is he, that none of the survivors have the chance to formulate thought, before his colossal hands tightly clamp down onto Red's throat and lift him clean off the ground. "DRAKE MOTHER-FUCKING KETCHUM!" He hissed venomously. "SO YOU'VE FINALLY COME OUT OF HIDING, TIRED OF LIVING OFF THE GRID?! OR JUST TIRED OF LIVING?! WHAT'S THIS STUPID FUCKING DISGUISE EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE?! YOU ONLY CHANGED YOUR HAIR AND MADE YOURSELF LOOK YOUNGER! BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL ME DRAKE! YOU FORGOT TO CHANGE YOUR EYES, THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME! TAKE OFF THE MOTHER FUCKING ILLUSION YOU TRAITORUS CUNT! I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE YOU FOR WHO YOU REALLY ARE!"

This stranger's venomous tongue lashes like a whip against their ears, but does little to harm to one it is meant for. Lily, Serena, Blade and Charizard all issue threats and demand he release Red, but the assumed Knight ignores them all, content with choking the life from the young Warrior. "TAKE IT OFF NOW! SHOW THEM ALL WHAT YOU REALLY ARE!" He screamed, drunk with bloodlust.

The Knight named for a colour claws at the hands that crush his throat and cut off his air, struggling to break free and breathe again. No matter what he does though, nothing loosens his hold. Whoever this guy is, he's strong. _Very_ strong. He'll have to hit him hard to break free. Summoning what little power remains within his half dead body, Red kicks his legs out and into his captor's exposed abdomen, knocking the wind from his lungs and forcing him stumbling back. The stranger loses his grip across his intended prey.

"You bastard!" He grumbled. Opening his eyes, he sees his prey crouching on the ground, a damaged glowing, yet clear blade in his left hand and his eyes, burning blood red. Confusion writes itself across the face of the stranger, this is an unexpected turn of events.

A sword? Drake is not a Warrior, he is a Mage, or he was before he betrayed the order, so why is he wielding a blade? And his eyes, they're blood red. They should be tainted by Darkness, or at least the natural blue of his Aura. An object, carrying an Illusion enchantment, can alter someone's appearance, the same way a Zorua or Zoroark's Illusion ability does, it can change anything about their appearance and even their voice, but nothing can alter the true appearance of Aura… So why is his red, when it should be another colour?

"Get the fuck away from my brother! He's my brother, and I won't let _anyone_ take him away from me!" Lily spat. Armed with her trusty staff, she comes to her twin's side, ready and willing to defend and protect him from anything. One by one the others join her, coming to Red's defence against this unknown man.

Blade is the first to come, bearing a Hyper Beam, he too is ready to fight for his Master and brother. _"I will stand and defend my Master until the very end. Do what you will, I know we will"_

Stomping his way to the man who both keeps him fed and serves as his worthy foe, Charizard viciously snarls at the grey haired one, armed with a double Dragon Claw. _"No one fucks with the Boss, but_ _me!_ _I've earned it!"_

Crouching on the ground before the man he calls, Tarzan, Pikachu's cheeks crackle with building electricity. _"Back off, before I fry ya tough guy"_

A black and grey wolf like Pokémon silently appears between the twins of the Ketchum blood, his fangs bared in a vicious, blood thirsty snarl. _"Even try to hurt him, and I'll rip you to shreds"_

Decidueye stands from afar, an arrow like quill notched within his feathers. _"Attacking the young and weak are we? You should be ashamed of yourself"_

In a flash of white light, Blaziken and Chatot both escape the comforting confines of their Pokéballs and stand ready to defend their brother, just as their sister does. Their bodies may be tired and wounded, but still they stand, ready to fight. _"Yawl sure ya wanna go down this 'ere path?"_ Blaziken asked coldly, his fists ignited into a Fire Punch.

" _Look buddy, I don't know who the fuck you are or what you want, but you're pissin' off the bitch, and that's_ _my_ _job!"_ Chatot squawked, his wings coated in steel.

The unknown stranger takes a few steps back, not afraid of this squad, who have gathered to defend the Warrior, but desiring to see them all at once and assess their combined strength. Barking with laughter, he dismisses them all at once, deeming them no threat whatsoever. "The fuck's this supposed to be? None of you can stand properly, let alone fight me!"

"Fuck you!" Lily sassed. "We're family! We stand together and protect each other! That's what family does. You don't like it? Line up with the other dicks and kiss my ass!"

No sooner than the words pass through Lily's lips, than the very fabric of reality bends and warps before the one she and the others intend to protect with their lives. A pair of electric blue eyes appears before Red, quickly joined by the rest of Mason's body, becoming completely visible once again. In his left hand lies a dagger, but in his right he holds a sword backwards, with the blade pointed out like his bent elbow. Holding both these weapons out before his form, Mason glares daggers at the one who threatens Red. "You fuck with my brother, you fuck with me"

"Shadow? You're back?" The man thought, confused by the presence of the Knight in black. "Well this is an unexpected surprise"

"Fuck off, all of you. This mother fucker wants a fight, I'll give 'im one" Red snarled, angered by the presence of others, when combat will soon begin again.

Fear runs through Serena, drawing her arms in tighter against her chest, she accidentally squishes the baby Dragon in her grasp. "Red no! You're still hurt, let them help you!" She called out without thought.

Red? That's an unusual name, it must be an abbreviation or nickname, no parent would name their child for a colour, neither would anyone attempting to avoid suspicion. If they were using a fake name, they'd make it something short and easy to learn, something that wouldn't stand out from the norm like this name does. Perhaps this isn't the man he thought he was, no, he definitely isn't. The Aura doesn't match and the name is wrong, but the resemblance is undisputable, he's far too young to be a sibling to Drake, so that can only mean one thing… This 'Red' is Drake Ketchum's son, and that must mean the girl there is his daughter.

Despite this less than ideal realisation, he feels no disappointment, he may not be able to exact vengeance against Drake, but his son has fallen right into his hands. "I can't punish the father, but I can kill the son" The thought draws a dark grin to his face.

Crossing his arms across his chest, he relaxes his form and tries to make himself seem less intimidating. "I think I've made a mistake, you're not Drake. I can see that now. My apologies, but you know how _family resemblance_ is an all, it was an honest mistake" He said rather calmly. His mouth may claim this to be the truth, but the increased beating of his heart reveals his deceit. Or rather, the lies that are surely to come. "I think I know you now, you're Red, aren't you? The so called Invincible Monster of the Forest… The stories say that you're brave, but you're really a coward, aren't you? That's why you're hiding behind your friends. Sure you tell them to fuck off, but you're still hiding behind them. Like a coward"

Talons grow from the fingers of the man who transformed into a Monster, cutting through the earth and gripping his sword tighter. "I'm not a fucking coward" He snarled, his blood heated by the flames of furry within his heart.

Mason presses his dagger against his brother's chest, careful not to touch him and trigger one of his panic attacks. Staring at him through his right eye, Mason silently tells him to calm down and not to do something stupid.

"You're not just a coward, you're a weakling That's why you let people fight and die to protect you, isn't it? Because you're too much of a coward to fight your own battles. Like a man" The man added, pleased with the reaction he's already gained.

Blood boils within the Warrior's veins, every breath he takes is snorted out through his nostrils. His snarl deepens, revealing his grown out fangs. "No one's ever gonna die for me. Not again" He snarled, gripping his sword tighter.

Knowing the source of this welcome heat has struck a nerve, Blade quickly attempts to calm his Master's anger. _"Master, do not listen to him. He is trying to provoke you,_ _do not_ _give him what he wants"_

" _Blade's right Red, this guy's a manipulative bastard. He wants you to lose your shit and attack him, don't give it to him"_ Mightyena growled, like Blade attempting to calm the furry within his heart.

A grin falls across the stranger's face, sensing that his words have not only struck a raw nerve, but have both stabbed and spat on it. "Go in for the kill" He thought. Pointing to the severed arm of the mother, who was murdered not even an hour ago, he makes good on his thoughts. "You let your own mother die rather than fight. You call yourself a Warrior, but you're nothing but a crime against nature. An animal that slaughters innocent people for sick kicks… You're no different to your traitor father, Drake"

"YOU BASTARD!" Red screeched at the top of his lungs, fuelled by an internal explosion of white hot rage. "I'M NOTHING LIKE THAT MOTHER FUCKER!" Summoning his pristine right handed blade, screeching like a wild animal and ignoring every plea the others make, he Aura Sprints past those who sought to defend him and raises his weapons high to strike the impudent asshole, who dares compare him to the man who made both him and his sister. And then abandoned them both.

The unknown Knight grins in satisfaction, as Red closes the distance between them and returns to his normal, solid form. "Gotcha" He whispered, certain that he has succeeded.

A steel headed black arrow bursts through the flesh of Red's right knee, crippling him and taking away his ability to run. Without the use of his right leg, Red trips and falls face first into the blood saturated dirt, skidding across its surface to stop before the boots of his target. Grumbling and grunting in pain, but not stirring from the earth, too tired to get back up again. The arrow entered from behind and now protrudes out from the shattered joint, leaving the limb all but useless.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY'D YOU SHOOT MY BROTHER?!" Lily screamed at the Shadow, who has exchanged his blades for his black recurve bow. Mason offers no response to her questions; he only notches a second arrow, the one meant for a different target.

" _Lily! Don't speak to_ _Shadow_ _like that! He just saved Red's life"_ Lucario quickly scolded, putting emphasis onto Mason's code name, having heard Pikachu's angry words, when Red revealed his true name.

The stranger's grin falls from his face as Red skids along the earth; his head drops down as his eye follows his path. "Clever, Shadow" Lifting his eyes back up, he leaves his head behind. "Very clever. You just saved your friend's life"

Following his scolding, Lily asks her Grampa what he means. _"Red almost committed an act of High Treason. Shadow stopped him, the only way he could"_ Glaring at the outsider to their little group, he addresses him now. _"And you, Blaze, I expected better from the Fire Knight Master. You weren't trained to trick Apprentices into committing suicide; you were trained to fight with honour"_

The man know revealed to be none other than the Knight Master of Fire, Blaze, ignores his elder and instead raises his right hand, holding it over the grumbling man at his feet. Summoning the crimson blade from its true Master's hand and into his own, to examine it more closely. "Hmm… Aura forged steel, the weapon of an Apprentice. A basic, but useful weapon, but it has a major weakness. Anyone who's the same type as you can steal it, and make it their own" Now finished with it; he tosses it aside, like he would something he scrapped from the sole of his boot.

" _Don't forget Blaze, you once used a sword just like that one. Have you already forgotten that a Knight's weapon is sacred to them? None more so their first, weapons like those are more than just an object. To you that blade is nothing, but to my Grandson, it is an extension of his body, as much a limb as his arms. You'd do well to remember the days when you used Aura forged steel, when you cried when it was taken away from you"_ Lucario spat, with more venom than a Toxapex.

Resentment fills the grey eyes of Blaze, how many years ago was it, since Lucario and Master Ignus trained him and Zoroark? Ten? Twenty? And still he treats the forty four year old man, like a child. "Master Lucario, still alive I see. I thought you'd have dropped dead years ago. I'm not sure whether to shake your paw, or put out of your misery. _You'd_ do well to shut your mouth and show some respect"

" _Blaze, do us all a favour and shut the fuck up"_ Pikachu sassed, knowing exactly who the Master is, but neither fearing nor respecting him in the slightest.

The Fire Master turns back to the Electric starter, irritated by his lack of respect for his position. To his surprise, he sees the code named Knight has not only moved from his spot amidst the others, he has dragged Red away from his feet and now stands before him, protectively, with his bow aimed into the Master's face.

Both the Electric mouse and the Dark wolf stand at his sides, like their trainer, they too are ready and willing to fight and defend the fallen Warrior. _"You've had your fun, now back off. He's coming with us"_ Mightyena growled lowly.

Crossing his arms again, Blaze glares at the three of them. "Shadow. You have one chance. Back away from my prisoner, now, or be tried for treason alongside him. The same goes for the both of you too"

" _Treason? On what grounds? My Grandson hasn't committed treason; he'd sooner rip his own arm off than join the Paladins"_ Lucario growled, angered by the false accusation. _"You have no proof that he was attempting to strike you, he may very well have been trying to re-join the battle"_

"Grampa's right! Red hates those bastards more than anyone! There's no way he'd join them!" Lily added, feeling powerless against the force of nature, that Blaze undoubtedly is, but still brave enough to stand against him.

Despite the firm warning, Mason stands his ground, refusing to abandon his brother. No matter the punishment. _"Yeah… That's not gonna happen Blaze. Ya see, we've got this strange thing called 'loyalty' and we're not gonna abandon Red, just 'cause you said so"_ Pikachu said patronisingly.

The smirk that previously lodged across Blaze's face returns, stronger than before. "What grounds? He killed the survivors. They were innocent civilians, and he murdered them all in cold blood. Killing our wards is the same as killing our brothers and sisters in arms. Bitch and moan all you want, but you know as well as I do, that he's guilty. And Shadow, unless you want to share his fate, step away. Now. First or no First, you _will_ be executed alongside him"

Still they refuse to move, refuse to let their fallen brother face this unjust fate. Yes he killed those people, but his actions weren't his to control. He became a Monster, against his own will, and followed his instincts. He is not to blame for what the deaths tonight; Eis is, for forcing the Monster within him to the surface in the first place. None of them will back down from this, from protecting their brother when he needs their help. No matter what.

Stirring from the earth, Red lifts his head to look at his protectors. "Brother" He grumbled. Mason turns his head to face on eye at him, while keeping the other, firmly fixed on Blaze. "Just back off. Don't get yourself killed, not for me. Take Blade and Charizard's Pokéballs, take care of them until I get back" A subtle wink of his eye speaks more than he can, at least in his current, compromising position.

Trust me.

After a moment of silent contemplation, the Knight known to many as Shadow, lowers his weapon, deciding to do as his brother asks and trust him. Crouching down before him, he stares into his eyes and breathes three words. "Stay safe brother" And does as requested, taking the Pokéballs, but leaving a tiny lock pick in their place. Without uttering another word, the Shadow Knight rises from the ground and stands aside, just as ordered.

" _You better fucking come back from this, Tarzan. We're not finished with you yet!"_ Pikachu growled, before he and Mightyena join their trainer.

"Good choice Shadow" Blaze commented, a smug grin across his face. "You get to live a little longer"

" _Stick your bullshit up your ass Blaze, jam it up there good with your dildo"_ Pikachu growled, in place of his trainer.

The mouse's venomous comments are ignored by the Master of Fire; he looks over his shoulder, searching for his servants. "ERNIE! BERNIE! Take the prisoner to the Barracks, to await trial for treason"

A couple of Knights wielding flaming weapons respond to his call, running through the same runway he himself used. "Yeah sure man, we take this sorry bastard away for you"

"Shut up Bernie. Just take him away. Now" Blaze growled, glaring at his subordinates. Bowing respectfully to their Master, Ernie and Bernie remove the blade from Red's grasp and bind his arms and legs together, stopping him from moving. He offers no resistance, not that he could, being so weak and injured.

Taking a last look at his friends and family, Red sees Serena and Lily clinging to each other, tears streaming down their faces, and his new little brother, Chomp, reaching out for him, crying out cutely. "Don't start crying, I'll be back. Just take care of Chomp for me, until I get back" He said rather gently, attempting to calm them. "I'll be back as soon as I can, OK? Be strong"

A swift kick into his ribs both cracks his ribs and silences his tongue. "Shut up!" Ernie barked, delivering a second kick, before he and his brother drag Red away from the family that loves him. To face trial for treason, a crime he did not commit.

Fighting back tears in his eyes, Charizard stomps his foot down and snarls viciously at his crippled brother. _"Boss if you don't get back in one piece, I'm gonna kill you! You can't just leave me with that little shit! Mama'll kill me if I tell 'er you're dead!"_

Fire ignites across the body of Blaze, the flames neither bleed nor burn his flesh, they are a part of him and cannot do him harm. An arrogant smirk across his face speaks volumes for him, as the flames engulf his entire body, before he vanishes from sight. Leaving only scorched earth and bitter memories behind.

Serena clings to baby Chomp tightly, Red asked her to take care of him and that's exactly what she's going to do. "I promise Red, I'll take care of him. I promise" She whimpered, planting a kiss atop the baby's head fin.

The battle of Lumiose City is done. Eis was ultimately defeated by his own creation, but the city the Knights were meant to protect was destroyed… The Invincible Monster of the Forest is an incredible, deadly force of nature. One that is, perhaps, better off locked away from the light of day. Lest his furry be awakened again and the world burn for it.

* * *

 _ **Hello everyone! Dragon's gone. My name's Drago, (holds up left foot) and this is Dr Foot! What's that Dr Foot? They saw us last time? Oh yeah, I remember now! Yeah guys, Dragon had to go to work, so I broke out of my cage and finished this off! There's gonna be some changes here, from now on I'M the star of this fic! Screw everyone else! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

 _ **BLAZE! MY FRIEND! How could you come in and not say hello?! I gave you Irish pudding!… Wait, what's Irish? YOU LIED TO ME DR FOOT!**_

 **(The sound of the door lock opening)** _ **What was that?! SHIT! Dragon's pooping in the chimney! WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A CHIMNEY!**_

 **(Dragon yawns and slumps his crap down) Thanks fuck I'm home. OK finish off the outro and post, this time,** _ **don't**_ **forget to put in the line breaks. Every fucking time I forget… Wait, why's my laptop on? Who's been touching my crap?! Mr Awesome I swear to Christ if you've touched anything again!… Wait a minute, scales? DRAGO! WHO LET YOU OUT OF YOUR CAGE?! GET BACK IN THE ATTIC AND I'LL BRING YOU YOUR FISH HEADS LATER!**

 _ **But I don't like the attic! It's anime elf eared Pepsi!**_

… **(Sigh) I gotta deal with him before he gets us arrested again. Oh, but before I go, there is something I'd like to ask of you guys.**

 **As you may be aware, because of Mr Awesome, I'm looking for some OCs for this fic. I'm looking for characters to be the Knight Masters, they're not main characters, only side characters, but they each play a vital role in the fic. My creative juices are running low for them, and I think it'd be fun to get you guys involved with it. I've already gotten quite a few from you guys that I've asked for via PM, but now I'm asking all of you, if possible, could help me out with this?**

 **If you remember, there's one Master for every element and some of them have been filled in. I made some up for specific roles, and other just because I felt like it. Lol.**

 **Here's the list of elements that are taken: Fire, Dragon, Dark, Psychic, Poison, Ground, Electric, Fighting, Ice and Water. The rest of 'em are up for grabs and available for OCs! An updated list'll be kept on my profile page.**

 **If you wanna submit and OC, then here's what you need to include. You can either PM me or leave it in a review, I don't mind which.**

 **Name:** Their name should be something to do with their element, this isn't their ACTUAL name, it's just what they're known as to the Knights. Only those close to them know their real name.

 **Element:** What element are they a Master of?

 **Age:** So long as they're over 20, anything can go.

 **Appearance:** A brief description of their appearance will be needed, you can go into details if you want, I'll do everything I can to include it all.

 **Personality:** A description of their personality and an example of how they'd implement it. They DON'T have to be good people guys, in case it's not already obvious, Blaze is an asshole and is not a nice guy.

 **Knight Class:** They can be either a Warrior or Mage, sorry, no Shadows. Mason's the only Shadow in this fic, and for good reason. SLIGHT spoiler warning for chapter nine's eventual rewrite, SOME Knights are a mixture between the two classes; they're primarily one class but take on elements of the other. Drago for instance, is trained as a Mage, but fights like a Warrior, getting up close and personal in battle. I'll accept things like this as their class.

 **Colour of their Aura:** Just tell me what the colour is, this DOESN'T affect their typing though, it can be anything you want it to be.

 **Their Master weapon:** Being a Master, they're entitled to any kind of weapon they desire, it's one that best fits their personality and fighting style. Mage's weapons needs to be something that increases the strength of their Aura, while Warriors can have whatever you guys want. No restrictions.

 **Drawbacks of being a Master:** A short, or long if you want, list of negative things that come from being a Master. They don't get their power and title without a price. E.g. Blaze's body temperature is VERY high, so high he has to be careful what he touches, because he could easily melt it or set it on fire. Drago looks like… Well as Lily put it, a drunken mistake between a Dragon and its trainer. That's part of the price he pays for being a Master.

 **Partner Pokémon:** Who's their partner Pokémon? It can be any Pokémon you want, however, there are some exceptions. Legendary Pokémon are restricted, some are OK, but others aren't available. For details PM me. If the Pokémon isn't capable of Mega Evolution normally, then either let me know what you want their Mega Form to look like, or I'll come up with one myself.

 **(Optional) Origin story:** If you want to give me a better understanding of their personality and why they're like that, you can give me a brief origin story, but you don't need to. It's up to you guys.

 **I think that's everything, if not I'll update this list to include it all.**

 **Until next time guys, throw a review at my face and let me know what you thought about this crap or gimme a Knight Master. Tell me to stop being so slow with updates, or just be… Whatever you feel like being! Do whatever you want guys!**

 **But as always… HIT THAT FOLLOW FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FOOT!**

 **Dragon out!**


	15. Price To Pay

**Chapter 15: Price to pay**

 **Hey guys!**

 **The Mad Ass Dragon is back! His account is back under his control, and Mr Awesome has suffered the consequences for stealing the Dragon's notes! As well as many other things! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 _ **I'M HERE TOO! DRAGO IS IN THE HOUSE!**_

 **Oooooh! There's been so many reviews since we last updated! Hehehehehehe! AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE TROLLS! OH I LOVE TROLLS! Let's get started on the replies!**

 _ **HI TIFFANY! I'M DRAGON'S GOOD TWIN!**_ _ **HE'S**_ _ **THE EVIL TWIN!**_

 **Gossip Girl: Hehehehehe, well Mr Awesome, or Guess Who as he used to be known as, has threatened me IRL… If I tell you what happened, he's going to hack my Facebook and post all kinds of embarrassing stuff on there. But Mr Awesome forgot something important… Hehehehehehe… I have no shame… So I'll tell you.**

 **It was new year's eve, in a few hours 2016 was going to come by. Me, Mr Awesome and our friends Umpalumpa, Hazzer and Stoner were all getting wasted. Mr Awesome was supposed to be the designated driver, but he was having trouble getting a ride for us, so he was VERY late. Umpalumpa is gay. Bent as a butchers hook. But at the time he was in the closet, we all knew it, but he wouldn't admit it. He picked up this UGLY ASS BITCH to try and prove to us that he wasn't gay… I was a little tipsy, so I thought I'd screw with Mr Awesome's head. Texted him that there was a fit bitch here for him, told him she was smokin', it worked cause he came running to the bar…**

 _ **Hehehehehe, he must have been desperate to listen to you!**_

 **Turns out that ugly ass bitch, was his little sister… He never told us her real name, she never mentioned she had a brother… HOW WAS IT MY FAULT?! He seems to think it was my fault, and trolled me for it. I love a good troll though! So what I paid him back for, was stealing my notes. Hehehehehehe. THERE YOU GO GOSSIP GIRL!**

 _ **DO YOUR WORST MR AWESOME! AH! HAHAHAHAHA!**_

 **Awkwardgeek54: I'm so glad you liked the chapter Geek! I know if you're reading this, you're using Jpr's account in his place, but I'll still use your penname! Thanks for the support, I promise NEXT chapter will have the best battles I've ever written! Hope you like those ones too!**

 **Gotta Catch em: I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but this is what happens when a writer is stupid enough not to plan the chapters out ahead. He ends up rewriting the chapter WAY too many times!**

 **You want a battle? You want the mother of all battles?! WELL HERE'S A WAR! NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE YOU NOT ONE, BUT TWO EPIC BATTLES! THEY'LL EASILY BE THE BEST BATTLES I'VE EVER WRITTEN! I'll give you a sneak peek… Synchro evolution will be tested against Mega Evolution. And don't expect just the same shit from the anime, this is something I came up with, with the help of my awesome Beta Reader, Wolf. Hehehehehe… In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Vegeta'sRoyalWench: I LIVE IN CRAZY TOWN! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT DOES GET BETTER! IT GETS SO MUCH BETTER! AH! HAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Tiffany: And now we get to the best part… My new favourite troller. Don't think my silence was because I got bored, my IRL friends blackmailed me into keeping quiet. But now they know I'll go nuclear if they try that again, I'll send us ALL to Hell… Hehehehehe… Please, feel free to troll me again any time. It was so much fun… Oh and, what was it I'm supposed to feel humiliated about? Nothing happened.**

 **Mad Ass Dragon's Poison: AH! HAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!**

 _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M GONNA PEE MY PANTS! YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN FANGIRL!**_

 **I NEVER ONCE EXPECTED SOMEONE TO NAME THEIR ACCOUNT AFTER ME, AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! XD!**

 **Ultima The Eternal Dragon: Thanks for the defence dude! It's appreciated a lot! And thanks for the OC, you can expect to see her next chapter!**

 **Now Mr Awesome, I realise you're gunning for my blood after what I have done… But I must say something in my defence. You. Stole. My. Fucking. Notes. And then you try to use it as power over me, saying you can give spoilers at any time… All I can say is what Drago will say next chapter, when I use this as a gag!**

 **Mr Bear died a noble death, bringing great joy to a lonely man's heart… Hehehehehe, you always loved that line from GTA V right?! HA! HAHAHAHAHA! And don't bring Phiona the Ogre into this! She already knows, dumb ass! Who do you think was holding your phone to record it all?! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU'RE A GROWN MAN, YOU DON'T NEED A FUCKING TEDDY BEAR AT YOUR AGE!**

 **Oh and you should have received an E-Mail from Stoner by now, hehehehe… He should have sent it by now, and if you haven't checked it yet, stop reading this and check. Hehehehehehehehe… I'm not the only one who fucked with your shit, we** _ **all**_ **did… Oh and there's a reason why your neighbours have been giving you strange looks lately. Hehehehehehe. And I hope for your sake, you** _ **haven't**_ **cleaned your teeth lately. That's one's** _ **all**_ **on Umpalumpa though, I've got nothing to do with that one.**

 **Chapter 7 has** _ **FINALLY**_ **been rewritten guys! And it's the cheesiest thing I've ever written! Check it out if you want to see Red and Serena bond after their time apart, if you wanna see Red be a nice guy for once as it won't happen again for a long time, or if you just wanna see a little something I call "The Erostarcy". That'll be used many times throughout the fic, so if you don't wanna be confused, go back and read it!**

 **Now that's all done, let's get on with the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I am as likely to one day own Pokémon, as my goldfish are to jump out of their tank and ask for a grilled cheese sandwich. Hehehehe.**

* * *

 **Previously**

The Shadows are not yet gone, one still lives and he joined the battle of Lumiose City, fighting and killing Paladin scum from the darkness. But Mason emerged from the shadows to save and protect his brother Red; it may have been what saved his life and the lives of those he cares about.

This happiness was short lived however, as the Paladins quickly killed Delia and tried to do the same with the others. Had Red not taken the blade for Serena, she too would be dead. Just how he survived though is nothing short of a miracle, a laws of physics defying miracle, but what would you expect from a man called "The Invincible Monster of the Forest".

The battle came to an end, when Master Blaze came and manipulated Red into attacking him, and then took him prisoner. With the intention of executing him.

* * *

The Barracks. A place where Knights can come with their Apprentices, and train them without fear of being discovered. Not every Apprentice has the advantage of living in a rural area, like the Ketchum children did when they were younger. Should a Knight find themselves in danger and in need of sanctuary, they may find it in a place like this. Any Knight who bears the Brand on their wrists is welcome within this place, as are any Apprentices who have sworn their eternal loyalty to Mew and Arceus. Some Knights are like civilian trainers, journeying across the land in search of fame, wealth, good memories or just some fun. Such Knights are able to find food and shelter within a Barracks, while the supplies they may receive here are basic; they're enough to stave off hunger and the cold. Healers can always be found within a Barracks, Knights capable of healing injuries and wounds, as well as restoring stamina after a long day of training. Beyond basic training areas and battle arenas, living quarters can be found within bigger Barracks, allowing worthy Knights to find temporary accommodation. A place to live until they're able to find a place of their own once again, such accommodation is reserved for Knights who are need the most, or who have done something to earn the temporary residence. Barracks are stationed all across the inhabited world, one can be found within most towns, and within every major city. While the Barracks are indeed everywhere, the world is blind to them… It is hard to aware of something, which is buried deep beneath the city that it protects. Near enough all Barracks lie beneath the place they protect, where they will not be discovered by either a civilian or found by a Paladin. Some lurk elsewhere, but the majority are beneath the earth.

The largest of Barracks are found beneath the largest of cities, it is within these Barracks, that prisoners of war are kept. Locked away beyond sight and memory, within solitary confinement. Within the Barracks of Lumiose city, is where the Warrior known as Redmud Ketchum is currently imprisoned for his crimes against humanity.

* * *

Cold. So very cold. The pitch black dungeon like chamber in which Red finds himself is unbearably cold; the stonework slabs beneath his flesh reflect no heat, leaving their touch like the bitter bite of ice. Similarly to bitterly cold floors, the walls are made of cobblestone. Lumps of stone protrude from its surface, digging into whatever leans against it, while retaining the bitter cold of the ground. Leaving prisoners both in pain and uncomfortable, no matter what position they put themselves in. But such worries are of no concern to Red, he has not been granted the liberty of movement.

He kneels in the centre of the stonework chamber, his full weight bearing down upon his knees, slowly crushing both them and his legs. Shackles constrict his wrists, ankles, waistline and even his throat, tightened so much they draw blood from his inflamed red skin. Chains pull against these shackles, drawing them even tighter, and leave him almost completely immobilised. His every muscle has become stiff and rigid, even if he wasn't bound as he is, he wouldn't be able to move far. Not without aid.

The crimson battle robes he wore throughout the battle, that kept him warm and preserved his dignity, have been ripped from his body and desecrated with his blood. The tattered remains lie scattered across the ground, forever stained a darker shade of crimson. Without them to protect and defend his modesty, his scars are left free to the eye. He can no longer keep them hidden from the world, or himself.

Not so much as a single square inch of flesh lies quiet, every last flake of skin screams out to him, begging for an end to the beatings that bring deep bruises and broken bones. Bruises as black as the void lie scattered across his pulverised gut, shattered chest and demolished ribcage, each one the exact same size and shape as a fist. Not a single one of them shows even the faintest signs of healing, leaving their age a complete mystery. His left eye is covered by such a bruise, so deep and heavy that it has swollen shut. Three deep gashes lie across the opposite cheek, blood that has yet to dry drips down his flesh. These wounds at least, are fresh. A split and swollen lip is the least of his concerns, but it is still there. Fresh blood trickles down his forehead, running down his nose and into his still open eye, pooling within the socket.

The stench of urine and faeces fills the stale and bitter tasting air. He was given no bucket in which to relieve himself, and without the ability to move he has been forced to shit and piss himself, whenever the call of nature comes and he is forced to answer. Being bound by chains pulled so tightly, he cannot even remove the waste once it is expelled. He is forced to kneel within his own filth. Like a Paladin Grunt, separated from its Sentinel.

A tiny flicker of light breaks the darkness of isolation, entering the chamber through the small gap beneath the door. Said gap also allows a tiny draft to waft into the room, carrying the scents of delicious food with it. How cruel this is, to smell that which he hungers for so dearly, yet has been denied since before he fought in the battle of Lumiose City. Starvation does not affect a trained Knight, such as Red, as it would a normal person. The body of a Knight will never break itself down in order to survive; there is no need for this, when their Aura is able to sustain their lives for so much longer. The difference between breaking down the body and breaking down the Aura is remarkable, a normal human being is able to survive for around three weeks without food, there are Knights in the world who would be able to survive for months without so much as a bite of food. Aura Starvation is not without its drawbacks however, once Aura has begun the process of breaking itself down to sustain the body; it becomes unusable for anything else. A starving Knight is completely unable to use their powers; even the most basic of abilities is off limits to them, until their Aura recovers from the starvation.

In short, until Red is given some much needed food and proper rest, he is completely powerless. A sitting Ducklet, unable to defend himself from even the most basic of attacks.

How long has he been trapped here? How long has he been locked away, as though he carries a deadly disease and must be quarantined? How long has he gone without even a scrap of food? There are no windows within this chamber, how can there be, when the Barracks is buried beneath the earth? Without a means of seeing the sun or the moon, he has no way to track the number of days that have passed, if any.

The only indication as to how long he has been here, is the number of bowls of water he has been brought. So far six bowls of filthy water have been delivered; each one tasting worse than mud, but still drunk without hesitation. It feels as though an eternity has passed since he has tasted the life giving fluid, but if he is to use these offerings as a means of measuring time, he must be more realistic with his measurement of time. If he had to guess, he would say seven days have passed since he was first imprisoned here, because Mew only knows how long it has been since he had his last bowl of mud like water. But since those who bring them to him refuse to speak, except to torment him further, this whole process has no foundations whatsoever. It's essentially useless.

The pain from the battle still plagues his broken body, it never really ended though. Lily and Mason did their best to heal his countless wounds and injuries, but there was only so much they could do, being so tired and injured themselves. They at least were able to save his life, but were forced to leave the majority of his bones cracked and broken. Since that day the only healing he has received, was to remove the arrow from his knee and stop the wound from bleeding out. This was simply to keep him alive, not to ease his suffering.

He gave everything he had and more in that horrible battle, he did what no one else would and took Eis head on, alone… And look what it has gotten him. A disgusting prison cell, with less freedom than a caged Rattata. They at least have their forced living accommodations cleaned regularly, far more than he has received these past seven days.

If only his suffering came to an end there, with the wounds and injuries he received in combat, but no, someone somewhere has decided that he must be punished further. The Master of the Fire element, Blaze, has come to his chamber regularly ever since he first arrived, to beat what little pride and dignity he has left out of him. Sometimes he comes alone, other times Zoroark joins him and they take turns beating him into a bloody pulp. In either case, the beatings never end until he blacks out from the pain.

How long until the next session of agony comes? The first time came quick, almost as soon as he was thrown in here. Blaze broke both his legs that time, to make sure he didn't try to escape he said, but the cold satisfaction in his eyes told another tale. He just wanted to make Red suffer even more.

Why? Why does this shit always fall to him? Why is he always the one who must take blows so others don't have to? The world is filled with Knights who swore the same oath he did, Knights who are stronger and better trained, so why is he always the one who gets singled out for abuse? What is it about him that makes him so special, what makes him everybody's whipping boy?! What could he possibly have done, to deserve this constant routine of agony?!

A knock at the door breaks his thoughts. "Red? Puis-je entrer? (Red? May I come in?)" A feminine voice called through the oak wood, speaking a tongue he does not recognise nor understand.

He is surprised by her presence, but does not make any form of movement or sound. Her voice is foreign to him, he does not recognise it at all, but there can be no doubt as to the fact that it belongs to a woman. That's certainly different, until now only the voices of men have called out to him, taunting and lashing at him with their tongues. Although Zoroark has the ability to change his appearance at will, he cannot alter his voice even in the slightest. This cannot be a trick, not one performed by Zoroark at least, and Blaze's voice is deep, it cannot hope to ever match the soft and sensual tones of a woman's voice. This can mean only one thing, whoever this woman is, she's someone new.

Great. Another tormentor comes to make him suffer, to humiliate and strip him of what little pride he has managed to scrape together, and he cannot even understand her. Well whatever this bitch has come to do, he knows she's not here to show him kindness, and he won't let himself be fooled into thinking otherwise. No matter her tactics or her cunning, she will not pull the wool over his eyes. He may not be able to defend his body from further assault, but it will be a cold day in Hell before he lets her harm what's left of his pride.

"Je m'appelle Daisy; je vous ai apport é de l'eau. J'aimerais bien vous rencontrer, puis-je entrer? (My name is Daisy; I've brought you some water. I'd really like meet you, can I please come in?)" She called through the door, once continuing to speak a tongue which he cannot understand.

The request is neither necessary nor expected; she could easily open the door with or without his blessing. So why even bother asking for it? Is she attempting to trick him into believing Blaze isn't on the other side of that door, in order to build hope within his heart, just to watch it die in his eyes? Or could she be actually doing the decent thing, and trying to give him some degree of control over his surroundings? To give him a little slice of his dignity and honour back? No matter the case, it is irrelevant, because he can't understand a word she speaks. So he remains silent, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of hearing his voice.

The door to his stonework tomb opens with a cold creak, allowing a flood of light to pour in past the woodwork door, illuminating the darkness of the lightless chamber. His one functioning eye had grown acclimated to the darkness of solitude, the sudden surge of bright light leaves him momentarily blinded and in even more pain. After a moment of squinting his eyes, Red regains the ability to see, and is greeted by the sight of a fair young maiden, looking to be a similar age to him, timidly stepping into the room.

With short auburn brown hair, fair skin, big brown eyes one could drown in, and a figure that could bring two colliding armies to a standstill, just for the chance to see it for themselves. No armor covers her body, just a plain white blouse with a tan body warmer to keep her warm, along with a pair of black pants and sneakers. Regardless of the lack of fancy clothing, none can deny this woman's natural beauty… But that is not what interests the Warrior. No, what captivates his attention is the large bowl of crystal clear water in her hands. He wants the water. He wants it more than he wants his next breath. He's desperate to drink it down and slick the thirst that scratches at his throat.

"Bonjour, Red (Hello, Red)" She said, her voice timid, but with a friendly smile across her face.

He ignores her, his gaze fixed solely on the water. While he is eager to talk to someone, anyone, who can offer him some comfort in this dark hour, he knows for a fact she won't give him anything but pain. Something he doesn't need any more of.

Seeing his interest in the water, she offers it him freely. However, he doesn't trust her any more than the others who came before her, who teased him what they he longs for so dearly, so he turns his head away from both her and the delicious looking fluid. Refusing to give her the satisfaction of taunting him.

"C'est bon, je ne suis pas comme les autres. Je ne vais pas vous enlever. Vous avez soif, vous devez avoir un bon verre (It's alright, I'm not like the others. I won't take it away from you. You look thirsty, you must need a good drink)" She spoke softly, so as not to risk unsettling him. Despite being offered the precious water, he refuses to even glance at it. If he does, he may not be able to withstand the temptation to drop his defences and drink.

Her smile drops from her face, as she places the bowl down on the ground, careful not to spill any. "Don't you speak Kalos?" She asked in Kantonian, a tongue he does understand. The Warrior says nothing, yet a scowl appears on his face, telling her that he can finally understand her. "I thought Mew gave you the ability to understand all languages, just as she lifted the curse on you… A little bit. That's why you understand Pokémon isn't it? Why you don't hear them just say their own name… Guess I was wrong"

Still he doesn't answer, choosing instead to hold silent and stare off into the darkness, scowling angrily.

"My name's Daisy, that's what I was trying to tell you before. I'm sorry I spoke a language you don't understand, but Kantonian isn't my native language and I haven't perfected it yet… It was just easier for me to talk that way" She holds for a moment, waiting for him to answer her. Seeing he won't, she sighs and drops her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I'll try better now to speak right" She said solemnly, not noticing her misuse of words. "I said you look thirsty and must need a drink, you haven't had one since yesterday"

So his theory was correct, he has been given one bowl of water per day. "I'm not like the others, I won't take it away from you or be cruel, I'm just here to help you. I promise" She said, distracting him from his thoughts.

The promise of a human, it's worthless. Human beings are cruel and evil creatures, incapable of showing decency or treating others with true respect or dignity. Sure his family have done this for him for most of his life, but they are like him, freaks and exceptions to the norm. On the whole, humanity is a race of vile and evil creatures, who delight in killing and destroying everything about one another. They may have blinded him to the harsh truth when he called this world home, but now he is no child, he is a man. A man who won't let their lies blind him to their true nature, not for a second time.

"It's OK if you don't want to drink yet, you can have some whenever you want it" Still the silent Warrior remains still, not moving so much as an inch, instead he waits for her to make her move. Soon she'll move the water into his line of sight, just out of his reach, and leave. To make him struggle for it, to beg for the water. Just like all the others have done before her.

To his great surprise, she doesn't. She does none of these things. She simply sits down before him, her legs crossed and her head held in her hands, with a goofy smile across her face. "My name's Daisy, Daisy Baker. I'm a Warrior class Knight, the same as you and Apprentice to Gloria Baker, my Mom" Since he refuses to make any kind of response, she carries on. "You don't need to say who you are, I know… You're Redmud Ketchum, a Warrior and Apprentice to God herself"

Why is she here? He doesn't want her here, tempting him so fiercely to drop his restraints and trust her. And yet a small part of him is desperate for her to stay, to stay and tear down his defences and show him true kindness… For her to release him from the chains that both bind him in place and make his wrists bleed. Without them he can return to his family, to Lily, Serena, Lucario, Charizard, Blade and little Chomp. It's his heart's greatest desire, to return to those who love him and will comfort him in his grief and pain.

"It's horrible, what happened to your Mom. I can't imagine how much pain you must be in. I'm sorry you had to lose her like that…" She gently said, her goofy smile turned to a sympathetic frown.

She had to bring it up; she had to talk about the one thing that continues to plunge a blade into his twisted heart. The death of his birth mother weighs heavily upon his conscience, he failed her, he should have been there to protect her and where was he? Buried beneath the earth. How the fuck did he even end up like that anyway?!… He _needs_ to talk to someone, anyone, who can ease the pain he is filled with. But _not_ this foul temptress.

"Delia's been buried… Well, what was left of her has been buried" She added, not realising Red was deep in his thoughts. "I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye… But once you're set free, I'll take you to her grave… If… That's what you want" A blush forms across her pale face, deepening with every word she speaks.

Oh she is a bitch. She's a cold and cruel bitch. Not content with simply teasing him with the idea of being free once again, she rubs salt in the emotional wound by telling him tales of his mother's grave… Where she has been laid to rest, for all eternity.

"It's disgusting" She said, her gaze lowering to stare at the heavy bruises and filth that saturates what's left of his robes. "Chaining a wonderful man like you up, like a Paladin, and not even giving you a bathroom" Her blush evolves into a full face beetroot red shine. "I… I… Can… Clean you up, if you want" His response is exactly as it has been ever since she first called out to him, silence. He remains the silent statue he became when she first offered the water to him.

"Here, let me help" She said, reaching out to cup her hand around his ripped cheek. The touch of her skin against his sends a surge of heat through her fingers, like a jolt of electricity surging through her body, but sends him into an uncontrollable fit of trembling. He winces, as though he has been dealt a painful wound and recoils from her touch, but is only able to move so far because of the shackles tightly bound around his throat.

She pulls her hand away for a moment, a reflexive action, before removing a small, clean cloth and a bottle of water from her pockets. "It's OK, I'll hurt you… No wait… I _won't_ hurt you. You don't need to be scared" Using the contents of the bottle, she dampens the cloth. Sure she could use the bowl before her, but that water is clean and pure, meant for his mouth and throat, it must remain as such. "I'm just gonna clean your wounds, you don't need to be scared" He pulls himself as far away from the cruel and sadistic hand of his tormentor, but is bound not only by the chains across his body, but by the lacklustre strength of his stiffened muscles. He cannot escape the gentle dab of the damp cloth against the gashes across his cheek.

How dare she. How dare she touch him, she has no idea who he is, what he's done with his life and she certainly has no right to humiliate him like this. She said that she's here to help, but she is no different to the others. She has hurt him just as they did, she's just done it in a different way.

After several minutes of this humiliating torture, Daisy has not only stripped him of what little pride he has managed to scrounge together and defend, she has also cleansed the wound. She lowers the cloth and smiles warmly at him, blissfully unaware of the psychological pain she has inflicted upon him. "I know quite a bit about you, more than most people ever will. I know everything your legendary accomplishments… And about your customs" Her blush returns as the final words pass from her lips.

Lies. She spouts nothing but lies. There's no way she can possibly know him or what he has done within his lifetime, sure the Paladins spread tales of him and his actions against them, but there is no way she could possibly know the truth. Her lies fall of deaf ears, he's not listening.

Once again the Knight known as Daisy rests her head in the palms of her hands, smiling blissfully at her hero. "You were born in Kanto, Pallet town. You have a twin sister, Lily, but you don't really look a lot alike. You left your home when you were just a little boy, because Mew asked you to go to her and become her Apprentice. Since then you've lived in the Holy Ground, training under her and becoming a legendary hero… You only return to your home land to exert her will, and destroy Paladins" She takes a moment to stop and stare at the muscles covering his powerful body, momentarily drooling over the sight, before continuing her tale. "I know about the battle of Golden Rod city in Johto, how you heroically protected it from the battalion of Sentinels and saved most of her people"

"I could spend all day talking about you and your heroic deeds, about what an inspiration you are the Knights, how you're my hero… But you really should have something to drink" Lifting the bowl of temptation close to his lips, she attempts to coax his interest, but still he refuses to drink from it.

Sighing sadly she replaces the bowl back on the ground, and solemnly speaks, attempting to look him in the eye. "Why won't you talk to me? I've done nothing but be nice to you, why won't you just… _Please_ talk to me?"

This stuck up human bitch wants him to talk? Alright then, he'll talk.

Slowly the Warrior of Fire pulls on his rigid and stiff muscles, turning his head all the way back to look Daisy Baker in the eye. He barely even sees her however, with one eye swollen shut and the other waterlogged with blood. Silently she gasps as the sight of his black eye, horrified by the sight of the injury. She knew it would be bad, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad, it doesn't even look like he can open it in the slightest.

"You don't have a fucking clue who I am, or what I've done" He rasped, his voice sounding like he's been gargling nails. A trickle of blood falls from his lips, dripping down onto the floor. "If you really knew me, you'd know I'm no hero. I'm a Monster"

"You're not a Monster" She compassionately said, dabbing his eye with the still damp cloth, making him wince. "That's just what Paladins think you are. Really, you're a hero, you're my hero"

Angered by her touch, a faint growl passes through his lips, too weak to be called a true act of aggression, but strong enough for her to understand that he does not desire her help. "You're a stupid bitch. Think you know everything about me, but you don't know shit" Her expression contorts to one of hurt, but she stays silent, listening to his venomous word with eager interest. "I didn't save shit. I went to that place to test my abilities, and see what my training had done for my skills. I tried to protect the Pokémon, as I always have" A dark grin falls across his face, exposing his blood covered teeth. "I slaughtered the humans who got in my way. _All_ of them. Men, women _and_ children… I slaughtered them all! And I'd do it all again!"

It… It can't be true; he simply cannot be telling the truth. There's no way he murdered innocent people… And yet the beat of his heart remains so steady, it hasn't increased in pace at all. The harsh reality is, that Red is telling the truth.

"Why?" She simply asked, horrified by this new information.

"Because humans are nothing but a disease to be eradicated. They're not worth protecting, but Pokémon are. And if it's a choice between protecting a human or a Pokémon, there's no choice to be made. The human can burn in Hell, and I'll gladly send 'em there. If I had my way, I'd send 'em all to Hell where they belong!" Unable to withstand the strain of his venomous words, a blood vessel bursts within his throat. His words are drowned out by the rapidly escaping blood; they fall from his lips, unspoken and dead. Without the use of his arms, he has no way to wipe the crimson fluid off his lips.

While Daisy is indeed horrified by the toxic evil he has spoken, she is more panicked by the blood that flows freely from his mouth. Once again wetting the cloth in her hands, she cleanses the crimson fluid from his split lips. "Sssshhh… Don't try to talk. You need to let it stop bleeding and heal" He tries to curse the blood running through her veins, but can no longer speak through the pain that claws at his throat. "That's not true and you know it" She whispered, holding his cheek in her hand and cleaning the cuts across his cheek. "You're not an evil man; you're a good and kind man. You're just bitter and angry from this… Ugh… From what Blaze has done to you. Everyone gets grouchy when they're hungry; you haven't eaten for a week and haven't drunk anything to drink since yesterday. Plus you're in a lot of pain… You might think this is how you feel, but it's not… Not really" Removing the stained cloth from his trembling face, she sees the bleeding has finally stopped. "You're really a good and kind man. Deep down… You wouldn't hurt a fly. No matter what you say, I know the truth"

Bloodlust rises within his one open eye, Daisy may be blind to it, but there can be no doubt. Red desires nothing more, than to kill her where she kneels.

"Now it's time for you to have a drink" She said, putting the bowl of water to his lips.

While the red Warrior cannot speak, he can allow his venomous thoughts to fly freely. "If I could use my powers, I'd rip your throat out with my teeth and watch you bleed out across the floor"

His lips remain tightly shut, refusing to allow the fluid to enter his mouth and quench his undying thirst. No matter how dearly he desires it, he will not give into temptation and drink. "I'm not going anywhere…" She whispered sensually, lowering the bowl and batting her eyelashes. "Not until you have something to drink" Her cheeks redden, but she remains cool and confident, not giving into her flustered heart. "You may not like me right now, but that'll change once… Things happen. I like you Red, I really like you" Her streak of confidence breaks, she looks down at the ground and blushes very deeply. "I might even go a little further than that…" Lifting her gaze to meet his own, she finally sees the bloodlust in his blue eye. "I… I want to… Be yours"

"Just leave me here to die" He rasped, cutting her off before she can complete her sentence.

Daisy makes no attempts to leave, but pushes the bowl of water aside gently, making sure not to spill even a single drop and gradually scoots her way closer to the crimson Knight. "I'm not gonna leave you Red… I want to be there for you, forever" Her cheeks are more blood than flesh and her heart pounds like a piston, so loud it sound as though a Slaking pounds its chest. She gazes into his deep, ocean like eyes, her own sparkling with anticipation, and whispers softly and sensually. "I can stay here with you… Take care of you… Protect you… And love you"

She leans forwards, turning her face so her left cheek connects with his right, nuzzling him tenderly so as to cause no pain. Her bold declaration of her intentions freezes his flesh in place, but simultaneously makes the skin crawl from his bones. The urge to vomit fills the deepest pits of his stomach.

"Get the fuck away from me!" He rasped angrily, baring his teeth as though his fangs had grown out. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU DISGUSTING HUMAN BITCH!" He attempted to scream, but his voice still sounding weak and raspy.

Yanking his head back sharply, he hurls his forehead into her face as a full on headbutt, making her cry out and pull away. The chain around his throat constricts his movements, preventing him from hitting her hard, but the flesh of her cheek still bruises and stings.

"You better pray that I die in here! If I ever see you again, I'll rip your leg off and beat you to death with it! Get the fuck out you human bitch, and take that pissing water with you!" He rasped, beyond furious.

The cold sting of rejection falls freely from her eyes and stones the shattered pieces of her heart. The man she has idolised ever since she was a little girl has not only rejected her affections, but has attacked and threatened to kill her. Unable to hold back her tears, Daisy jumps to her feet and runs out of the chamber, audibly sobbing her heart out with every step.

* * *

The Knight known to a select few as Luke paces around his room within the Barracks, his trembling hand held at his lips, as he mumbles away. "It can't be real. It… It can't be him. Red can't be alive, he can't be in the Barracks" Changing direction, he makes his way towards the living room of his residence. "But I saw the Spirit Shards. Their glow… It was the glow of Red's Aura, I know it. I'd recognise that shade of crimson anywhere… It can mean only one thing; my old Apprentice is still alive. And he's here, in the Barracks"

Passing a mirror as he walks without thought of the direction, he catches a gleam of electric blue from the corner of his chocolaty brown eye. A surge of fear runs up the spine of the lying Knight, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Wh… What was that?" He thought, slowly turning his eye to the mirror. "Could… Could it have been?"

His thoughts are silenced by the sight of his own reflection, staring back at him. It seems the years have been kind to Luke, _very_ kind. He's barely aged a day since he last saw his former Apprentice. His auburn brown hair has not even a single hint of grey, while still long enough to be hung as a ponytail from the back of his head. One thing that has changed in the ten years since he said goodbye to the Ketchum son, is that he has grown a short beard across the surface of his chin and upper lip, but not across the rest of his face. The light that once shone within his eyes has long since faded, leaving their brown surface dull and lifeless.

"I swear I just saw… Guess I'm just so scared, that I'm imagining things" He mumbled, before turning away from the surface of the glass, no longer desiring to see himself. "If Red really is here, then there's no hope for either me, or Gallade. He'll come for us both… I thought he was dead. I was sure he was dead"

The vision may have appeared in his dreams years ago, but its image remains burned into his brain, clear as crystal. While most of it was irrelevant, events that came and went by years ago, there was one scene that left no room for doubt as to Red's fate. The boy lay at the bottom of a lake, his body bloated and rotten, while Magikarp fed on his flesh… So how can he be here? The obvious answer would be that it was simply a false vision, one that would never come to pass, but that simply cannot be. Perhaps it was a little off, but the vision was true.

"I fucking felt him die" He muttered, dropping his hand from his mouth. "Gallade felt him die. Fuck, even Dad felt him die… We _all_ felt his soul pass onto the other side. So how the fuck is he alive and how could be strong enough to make a Spirit Shard?!"

With one hand he wipes away the sweat from his forehead, while the other clutches the golden locked dangling from his neck, bringing it to his lips. "What fucking difference does it make? The fact is Red's alive, and he's in the Barracks" It may have only been for a moment, but he felt the crimson Aura of Red. It was faint and it only lasted for a moment, but he felt it. "It's only a matter of time. A matter of time until he comes for us, both of us. After what we did to him… Hell what we did to him _and_ Lily, there's no way he's not gonna kill us"

Red may have been a sweet, innocent little child the last time he came face to face with his former Master, but that was a very long time ago. His reputation as the Invincible Monster of the Forest precedes him; he's a cold and merciless killer. Showing not even the slightest hint of mercy to those who dare cross his path. And that is with people he doesn't know, who he feels no hatred or anger for. "If he caves in the skulls of people he doesn't know, what'll he do to us?"

Opening his trembling hand, he stares at the locket that it holds. It's golden surface remains as pristine as it was a decade ago, the ethereal blue hue remains, even surrounding the keystone embedded into its surface. There's no way in Hell that Red doesn't hold a burning hatred for his former Masters, both of them. He was too young to understand when he suffered at their hands, too innocent and trusting to believe that what they did to him and Lily was wrong. But now he is a man, the innocence of a child is long since lost to him; his new Master has undoubtedly shown him that what they put him through was not only cruel, but evil. "He'll understand now. That wasn't training, it was nothing short of abuse" He mumbled, his eye focused not on the locket, but the hue that surrounds it.

A knock at the entrance to his chambers brings his fear driven ramblings to an end, but before he has the chance to respond to whoever stands on the other side of the door, it opens and Lily enters the room. "Hey Master…" She said, grief rattling in her voice. A band of black runs around her left arm, clearly standing out against the white of her jacket. Placed there in memorial of her recently departed mother. What was left of her was only laid to rest the day before.

All she left on this earth was part of her left arm, torn away from the whole. Despite this though, she was buried within a full sized casket. The Order of Aura Knights covered up her murder with a bullshit excuse involving a rouge Forretress using Explosion and hitting a gas pipeline, saying the resulting explosion destroyed Lumiose City. Delia Ketchum is not the only victim to be put to rest in such a way, every life that was lost in that horrible battle has befallen the same fate. Buried under the pretence of a lie, to ensure both the Paladins of Fear and the Aura Knights remains hidden from the eyes of the world.

"Hello Lily… Are you holding up OK?" He asked, composing himself slightly, but unable to mask the grief rattling within his own voice. She answers without parting her lips, simply nodding her head and shutting the door behind her. "She didn't deserve that. Delia didn't deserve to die like that. She was a good woman, a strong and loving mother… She was too beautiful to die like that"

Lily nods in agreement, struggling not to give into her pain and cry again. "My Mom didn't need to die" The weight of her pain weakens her knees; she sits down on a couch, preventing them from giving out beneath her. Tears pool within the emerald like eyes which she inherited from her mother, held back only by her resolve to remain composed. "They've taken him away from me Master… They took Red, he only just got back, and they took him away. He didn't even do anything wrong! It wasn't his fault… Why'd they take him away from me? Why am I losing everyone I love?" The resolve she held to keep her face dry quickly crumbles, her tears fall from her eyes, unable to stay in their home a minute longer.

Luke gently sits beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close against his chest. Without even the slightest hesitation or resistance, she wraps her arms around him and dampens his shirt with her tears, but neither of them pays even the slightest attention to it.

"Sssshhhhh… It's OK, I'm here now. Just let it out" He said comfortingly, as he stroked her back, the way a father would his distraught daughter.

For a moment she says nothing, choosing to instead release her pain and grief into her Master and close friend. "Red didn't do anything wrong!" She wailed, her voice muffled by his grey tank top. "They shouldn't have taken him! He didn't do anything wrong, and now they're gonna kill him! It wasn't his fault!"

"Sssshhh… Who took Red away?" He asked gently. While he is already well aware of Red's location, the question still stands. Who, and why? What could he possibly have done to be separated from his grieving twin, so soon after their mother's death?

Lily doesn't answer straight away, she allows herself a moment to compose herself and gather her scattered thoughts. "Blaze took him prisoner… The Fire Master, Blaze" As she pulls herself away from him and wipes away the tears that ruin her carefully applied makeup, she regales her Master with the tale of Lumiose City, filling in the gaps of his knowledge, and confirming the Mage's greatest fear.

The tales of his former Apprentice's power are indeed truth, not tales spun to scare and inspire. His face grows paler with every word she speaks, until he is left ghostly pale and trembling. "Master Blaze left the battlefield… What happened next?"

"We left" She said simply. "What else could we do? I was beaten and everyone else was too exhausted to keep fighting, my home was already destroyed… There was nothing left to fight for. I wrapped Mom's arm up in a sheet, Shadow gave it to me, then we came here… Been here ever since. Waiting for them to give me my brother back"

"I… See" He mumbled, mindlessly scratching at his beard. A question lingers in his head, one demanding an answer, and answer which he fears to hear. "Where… Where is she buried?"

"Mom's back home in Kanto, back in Pallet. It's where she was happiest… One day I'm gonna go find her grave, when I get Red back, we'll both go and pay our final respects"

His head hangs low in a bow of respect, to hide the pain of loss that is engraved upon his face. "Oh Delia… Pallet town was where we first met, where it all began, where the children were born and raised… Where I left both you and myself behind, so I could become 'Luke'. I remember the look in your eyes when you held them for the first time; I'd never seen you so happy… I should have been there beside you, raised them with you, maybe if I had you'd still be here… But I didn't. I threw it all away…" He thought, once again his hand clutches the locket, which hangs from his neck, tightly. Comforting himself in his grief. "I lost the right to call Lily, Dad… Or Red, my family. As did Gallade. But Delia… You didn't need to die. You should have grown old, should have seen Lily mature and walk down the aisle… You should have held your first Grandchild. But now you can't. You lost that when that bastard stole your life from you"

He turns back to his Apprentice, fighting back his own tears. "I'm sorry… I should have been there for you… And Red. I should have been there for you both. But I wasn't. How can I call myself your-"

She cuts him off by taking his hands in her own, and speaking. "No. It's not your fault. There was nothing you could have done to save Mom, she was dead the minute Eis got here"

His head drops low, setting the tears he tried to keep in place free. "No, you don't understand"

"Don't think like that" She quickly said, squeezing his hands to try and calm him. "You weren't anywhere near here when it happened; you only came back because I asked you to. It's not your fault Master. It was… It was just her time to die. Nothing any of us could have done, could ever have changed that, Master"

Her words stir a memory within his broken heart, she sounds so much like her mother… The way she was a long time ago, before he broke the family into pieces and changed her forever. There's no way Lily could ever remember what Delia used to be like, before he did what he did, she doesn't know that her mother was just a grieving husk of the angel she used to be… And yet, she's slowly becoming that way herself.

"You have your mother's eyes" He thought, his brown eyes meeting with her shimmering green jewels. She got her emerald eyes from her mother, one of the many things that Delia passed onto her… The two of them are so similar, while not very alike in appearance; their hearts are practically one and the same. Pure and filled with a need to spread and receive love.

He acts without thought, rubbing her cheek and wiping away a tear with his thumb, whispering. "You're beautiful. So very beautiful"

Her cheeks flush a deep shade of crimson, but she makes not even the slightest attempt to pull away from his touch. "Do… Do you mean that? Am I really beautiful?"

"Yes. You're the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth" He whispered back, nodding his head once.

Lilian Ketchum has heard people say those exact words to her for years, sometimes she has believed that they truly think that, but most times she knew they were said for the singular purpose of getting her pants down. But this time is different; she believes in her heart that they were genuine. She's beautiful.

"Oh…" She murmured.

Not giving herself time to think of her actions, or their consequences, she hurls herself forwards and slams her lips against those of her Master. He returns her heated kiss without even the slightest hesitation, or thought of the unspoken taboos that they are both breaking, but only he knows the true extent of.

"(Let's go to the bedroom)" She said through her Aura, not wanting to break their locking of lips and wandering of hands.

He pulls away from her, saying nothing, but nodding his head. He knows what they are doing is wrong, that it is taboo for a reason, but he no longer cares. If Red truly is alive and in the area, then neither he nor Gallade have much time left in this world… He at least will take the time to enjoy the pleasures of a woman one last time.

Blood has never mattered to the Ketchums before, it won't start to now.

* * *

Sitting on the corner of her new lover's queen sized bed, Lily adjusts her clothes, ensuring everything is in its proper place and is worn the right way. Basic steps in ensuring their forbidden pleasures go unnoticed by others. She also searches for signs of her activities with her Master, for anything that'll give away their passions, such as bruises or hickeys. "I need a shower, I stink of sex"

"We could always take a shower together" She turns to looks over her shoulder, giving her Master a lustful grin. He lies in the bed with the sheets drawn up to his waistline, his golden locket lying against his bare chest, with several bruises across his neckline. "I could use a shower myself, after the thrashing you gave me" He said, causing her to giggle.

"Man up already, I went easy on you. Next time I won't hold back" Ending her statement, with a bite of the air.

"Oh? There's a next time? I'll have to bring armor then"

"Oh, it's gonna happen again" Rising to her feet, she wiggles her hips sensually. "Many times. And you're not allowed to wear armor, count yourself lucky I let you wear that locket… Next time I'm bringing my toys, so you better behave"

"Damn, no mercy. Well if you keep being a good girl, then Daddy'll behave himself"

"You better, _'Daddy'_ " She joked, adjusting the black band around her arm. "I've gotta go now, Grampa'll come looking for me if I'm gone for too long. Send me a text next time you're in the area, I can 'train' you some more then… 'Master'"

"I will, and next time _I'll_ bring the Magikarp"

* * *

"I'm a little Dragon, tall and scaly. These are my wings and this is my tail~! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The voice of a man who lost his tiny mind long ago, echoed throughout the heart of the Barracks, an empty and yet colossal chamber.

The beautiful black marble tiled walls and floor carry his voice, resounding his laughter, letting not even a single syllable escape. Light fills this underground chamber, illuminating all four corners and letting not even a single shadow be formed, the source is a glorious golden chandelier and is reflected by the precious stone surface. Not even a single lightbulb resides across this chandelier, the white glows that cuts through the darkness comes from countless tiny, glowing white crystals across its surface. Beneath the ornate light fixture lies a perfect circle of white marble, the symbol of the Knights brotherhood engraved upon it in black.

The Master of the Dragon element hangs upside down from the chandelier, gripping onto a branch with a single foot. His robes hang down, revealing his pink boxers to the world. His partner Pokémon, Salamance, stands beneath him at the circle's edge, watching and encouraging his antics from a safe distance. However, they are not alone within this sacred place, several others are here with them, waiting for their final members to join them, without their presence they cannot do their duty and determine the fate of their prisoner.

The first of whom is a man of average height, wearing a dull blue spandex like suit with pads of leather across his thighs, shins and arms. An earth brown cloak hangs from his shoulders, but does not conceal his body; matching the colour of his eyes perfectly. The unknown man's hair is neatly combed and black in colour, it almost resembles a toupee, sitting atop his egg shaped head. His skin is dark in colour, but not from excess tanning. A big bushy moustache grows from his sideburns, crawling across his cheeks, but not connecting with the tiny spit of hair beneath his lower lip. A half smoked and partially chewed cigar lies between his lips, still lit, it exudes a thin trail of smoke. His weapon lies within his hands, a firearm so large it resembles a miniature cannon, small enough to be held by one man, but large and heavy enough to require two hands to wield it. One to bear its weight, another to pull the trigger.

He is known as Knight Master Terra, of the Ground element.

The barrel of said weapon is pressed into the ground, allowing Terra to lean his weight upon it, while he chews on his cigar, patiently waiting to begin the ceremony. If it can be called such. Standing at his side, far too tall to meet his height, is his partner Pokémon, Steelix. The Iron Snake Pokémon stands at a whopping 30'2", his long snake like body covered by an iron like hide. A mouthful of square, brick like teeth that fit together perfectly, gives him the power to use his favourite attack. Crunch. A helmet covers the majority of the Steel/Ground type's head, with two eye holes to allow him to see, as well as a Mega Stone embedded upon the forehead. Granting him the power of Mega Evolution.

Blaze stands on the opposite side to the Master of the Ground element, his arms crossed against his bare chest and his head hung low, impatient written across his face. Zoroark stands beside his partner, his black fur matted and clumped with fresh blood. Licking the blood from his claws, he whittles away the time and tries not to focus on his boredom.

Another Master stands near her brother in arms of the Ground element, as far away from Blaze as she can be, while still standing at the edge of the white marble circle. Like Terra she is of average height, but possess a slim but muscular build. Tight black leather covers her body, while revealing by nature and style, very little skin is actually on show. Golden rings run across the thighs of this unconventional armor, one on each leg, with another going down the lower legs. On each of her arms, two more golden rings can be found in a similar fashion to her legs. A ninth ring of gold resides across her rather small chest, far larger than any of the others. A pair of striking black heels adds to her height, while contributing to the appeal of her figure. The light skin of her flesh compliments the dark tone of her armor well, while also contrasting her shoulder length black hair, which ends in golden tips. A set of golden eyes grant her sight in even the darkest of nights, letting her see even clearer than in the daylight. It's safe to assume that she is most active at night. A pair of black and gold weapon hilts hangs from her waistline. These so called weapons bear no blade whatsoever, and seem to hang freely from her body, without anything to keep them in place.

Master Midnight of the Dark element is not a bad looking woman, for being on the wrong side of forty.

Her partner Pokémon, Houndoom, lies by her side, attempting to sleep his way through this delay in events. He is a canine like Pokémon, with fur that is both black and red, as well as what could easily be described as metal like growths protruding from all across his body. His armor is strange by comparison, that of a dog collar, with a chain hanging down from the front and a Mega Stone sitting at back of his neck.

"Here Rudy Rudy Rudy! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh I'm so lonely… Who the fuck's Rudy?" Drago cackled, still hanging from the chandelier.

" _The captain who was stabbed in the back by the pickle! Deploy the lock ness tangerine!"_ Salamance called back, sounding like a skilled general, giving orders to his troops.

Houndoom raises his head with a deep yawn, groggily opening and closing his eyes, not fully awake yet. _"Time ta get up?"_

His partner, and sister, crouches down beside him, gently petting his head. "Ssshhh… It's OK Houndoom, Drago's just being… Well Drago, go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we're ready, OK?" He licks her hand briefly, before dropping back to the ground and returning to the realm of dreams.

Master Terra rolls his cigar to other side of his mouth, expelling a mouthful of smoke as he does. "Don't know why we 'ave ta wait anyway. So Spirit ain't finished 'er shut yet. Big deal. We're all 'ere, and been through all the shit, why can't we just vote without 'er?"

Blaze grips his own flesh tighter, attempting to contain his frustrations and searing rage. This is not the first time Terra has attempted to bring this rare gathering of Masters to an early end, they have been at this for one solid week now, ever since the battle was brought to an end and the Paladins were destroyed, and they _still_ cannot come to a decision regarding Red's fate. Or as he is known to the Masters, the Left Hand of God. Perhaps they should have gathered in greater numbers, there are eighteen of them and yet only five have been called together, but that cannot be changed now. And Terra's many attempts to bring this gathering to an end, every time they hit even the smallest of snags, and causing another argument to break out and rob them of precious time, only serves to make things worse! This debating, constant rehashing out of witness statements and childish behaviour is getting them nowhere, and is only prolonging the inevitable justice that Red Ketchum deserves.

"Hmmm. We've been over this and over this, Terra. We're going nowhere. Spirit's gone to get the memories from the prisoner's head, so we can see with our own eyes exactly what he did and why" Blaze growled.

" _Maybe then you fuckers can agree that he deserves to die! This ain't the first time that bastard's killed innocent people, he deserves to be punished for it!"_ Zoroark added.

"CHEESE! Cheese for everyone!" Drago shouted, spreading his arms and wings wide. "Wait, screw that, cheese for no one… Which could be just as good a reason to celebrate, if'n ya don't like cheese. I HATE CHEESE!"

Midnight smiles up at her young friend, who hangs above them. While many are annoyed by his ramblings and antics, she finds them rather funny and a little bit cute; he's almost like a playful child. "That's right Drago, you can only eat meat. Cheese is very bad for you"

Terra rolls his eyes and raises his weapon, while he and Drago are indeed friends and have been ever since childhood, his constant ramblings about nonsensical bullshit do get on his nerves from time to time, and now is such a time where he can take no more. "I got ya stinkin' cheese, ya ugly mother fucker" He smirked, aiming his weapon. "Dr Foot, meet Mr Awesome!"

A massive cannonball like blast of orange Aura explodes from the barrel of his cannon, momentarily flooding the chamber with a warm, earthy glow… "Oh shit" Drago murmured, before the blast of Ground energy collided with his head, exploding into a small cloud of smoke. Crying out in pain, he drops from the chandelier like a led weight and slams onto the stone floor, clutching his stinging face. "AH! MY FACE! MY PRECIOUS MODELLING CAREER!"

With a satisfied smirk across his arrogant face, Terra lowers his weapon, gleams of orange light rising from its barrel like smoke from a handgun. "Got 'im in the face" Puffing out a mouthful of smoke as he speaks.

The blue Dragon stares down at his brother as he rolls across the ground, swearing like a drunken sailor. _"Shoulda caught it with your teeth"_ Turning his attention to Terra, Salamance narrows his eyes angrily. _"You're an asshole Terra. He wasn't hurting anyone up there; why not just let him have his fun?"_

"I'm bored and felt like it" Terra replied, once again leaning on his weapon. "What the big deal? Not like I can kill 'im. Might just blow some sense into his tiny brain"

"Calm down boys" Master Midnight called out, raising her arms out to try and calm them. "I understand tempers are running thin, we've been here for a long time, but you _must_ behave. Last time you two let your tempers get the better of you… Well we all remember, so let's not talk about it. We'll all just calm down, wait for Spirit to return, and then pass judgment. OK?" The eye of every man within the heart of the Barracks grants its undivided attention to the ever kind Midnight, making her cheeks burn with blood.

The Dragon Master tilts his head to the side, completely unharmed by his friend and brother's attack. "Dr Foot? Why do we smell cookies?"

" _Because the leprechaun is trying to set your cloak on fire again, better find him quickly and make him pay"_ Salamance answered, in place of Drago's left foot.

Immediately following the Dragon's statement and advice, the Master of the Dragon element drops to the earth and starts sniffing the stone, trying to find a scent that does not exist. "Where are you leprechaun? I want my lucky charms!"

" _Nice one Salamance"_ Steelix complimented, while Terra and Blaze nodded their heads in agreement.

" _That outa keep him fucking busy for a while"_ Salamance growled, proud of his minor achievement.

"Nice choice Salamance, but you really should use the laser pointer, so he has something to chase" A feminine voice called out, filling the minds of every soul within this chamber. In a flash of white light, Spirit the Psychic Knight Master and her partner Pokémon, Gardevoir, return to their brothers and sister in the chamber.

Spirit's body structure is quite different to those who came before her, being very frail compared to the others, she lacks muscle definition and with it physical strength. Elegant white robes cling to her body, delicate, thin and almost completely transparent; they leave very little to the imagination. Pale pink straps run across her body, binding her robes in place and preserving her dignity, by overlapping the more delicate aspects of her feminine anatomy. A pair of luminous pink eyes grant her the sense of sight, despite having no real use for the sense, as her telekinetic abilities would grant just as clear an image of the world. Silver hair drapes down her back, braided to keep it from flying freely in battle, it sparkles in the bright light. She is by no means old enough to lose her natural hair colour and turn grey however; it is this colour by choice, through the use of dye.

Standing by Spirit's side, with a neutral expression across her white face, stands a bipedal Embrace Pokémon, Gardevoir. She has pure white skin with green arms and short hair, with a white dress hanging across her body, as well as a large red spike protruding from her chest and back. Armor encases her torso, covering her chest but leaving her spike exposed, beneath this sensitive aspect of her anatomy, sits her Mega Stone.

" _Finally_ _! Did you get his memories?!"_ Zoroark groaned.

" _We could do without the attitude, Zoroark, we did the best we could"_ Gardevoir quickly responded through the use of telepathy, while rubbing her temples. _"Now if you don't mind, I have a massive headache from all his screaming and would like to get this done as quickly as I can"_

" _Shut your trap you walking perv magnet"_ Zoroark growled back. _"We've been waiting for you two forever! Seriously, how long does it take to get a memory from a human?!"_

The Psychic/Fairy's cheeks flush with colour, as she tries to think of a comeback. Spirit's sweet face quickly turns dark, forming a scowl. "Zoroark, are you able to enter someone's mind and pull out their memories? Can _you_ piece back together a shattered psyche? No? Then shut your trap before I have Drago _play_ with you again!" She spat, broadcasting her thoughts with her mental prowess. Unable to use her voice to give the Dark type the telling off he deserves.

The Dark fox responds with a low growl, telling her that he is neither afraid of her or her psychotic lover. _"Bring it on bitch"_

"Yes we have the memory, but it's not as black and white as we first thought" Spirit said, her voice carried by her Psychic abilities. "The memory was shattered and scattered throughout his mind, we were able to piece it back together, but there're a couple of missing pieces. From what we can tell it's nothing important, just some of Eis' usual bullshit"

" _This had better be worth it, your pointless bickering needs to end!"_ Gardevoir said, her crimson eyes growing watery at the raw memory of what she and her sister have just done. _"That poor boy was screaming his lungs out while we dug through his mind; it was agony for him… By the time we finished, his vocal cords were too strained to carry on. Blood was dripping from his lips; he was too exhausted to even spit it out"_

Midnight gasps silently, covering her mouth with both her hands. "Oh dear lord above… That poor boy" She murmured.

Wiping away a stray tear, Gardevoir continues. _"I used heal pulse to try and ease some of the bleeding, but Spirit thought it best to just come back"_ Turning her glare to Spirit as she speaks. _"You and your stupid tunnel vision. It wouldn't have taken me long to take away his pain"_

Terra of the Ground element screws his face up in disgust, repulsed by the mental image of blood slowly dripping out from the Left Hand of God's mouth, like a string of discarded drool. "Fuck. That's rough. Take it easy on 'er Gardevoir; she can't help being so focused on 'er goal, same as I can't go into water. 'T's part of the price we pay fer our powers"

"Don't forget _why_ the boy's like that, any of you" Blaze quickly snarled, dropping his arms. "He's a prisoner for a reason. That mother fucker _demolished_ Lumiose City! We're standing beneath a pile of rubble, ashes, cinders and Spirit Shards!"

Ignoring the Fire type's hatred fuelled words; Midnight lightly pets her loyal canine, stirring him from his sleep. "Houndoom, wakey wakey~ It's time to get to work" Awaking with another yawn, the Fire/Dark type growls that he's awake.

The indigo Dragon with wings of crimson, growls angrily at his brother Blaze, he never has liked the man. _"We fucking know what Red did asshole, those Spirit Shards are more than enough proof of that. We don't need you going on and on about it all!"_

For being a Fire type, Blaze's glare is icy cold. "Hmm… Well I'm gonna tell you again, because it seems like you need reminding" Removing the glowing red crystal from the folds of his armor, he holds it up to level and passes it around like a flaming torch. Casting the crimson glow across the white marble. "A Spirit Shard. A fragment of Aura that has been made physically real. These things are formed when a source of extremely powerful Aura, creates a devastating explosion, and guess what. City's full of these fucking things"

" _No one said he ain't guilty of killing those people you blithering idiot!"_ Houndoom, now awake and fully alert, snarled at his fellow Fire type angrily. _"The only thing we couldn't agree on whether or not he did it on purpose!"_

"He's right" Midnight concluded, her finger and thumb across her chin. "My First has provided evidence in Redmud's favour; he was in the terrible battle as well, witnessed Redmud's rampage of destruction" Turning her golden eyes to the darkest patches of the great chamber, as well as the walls, she searches for the man designated as her First, knowing his tendencies to hide and listen into things like this. "He claims that Redmud was _not_ in his right mind, not while he was transformed and rampaged. That makes him not responsible for their deaths"

Terra looks at his much older sister in arms with a raised brow, confused by her First's conflicting report. "The fuck's that supposed ta mean? Shadow saw 'im kill 'em, but says it's not 'is fault? That makes as much sense as Drago's face" Some of the Pokémon nod their heads in agreement, grunting and growling their additions to his insult, while others ask for more details on the matter.

Midnight listens carefully to each one of their questions, but continues her search for the one who is deigned to one day take her place as the Dark Master, providing Mew and Arceus make that decision. "I've told you all I know on the matter, but there is someone who could tell you more… Shadow? Could you come out of hiding and tell everyone your side of the story, please?"

" _You called?"_ Pikachu said plainly, his voice inches away from her ear. The Mistress of the Night leaps from her skin in shock and surprise, she hadn't expected a response so quickly, or closely.

The man dressed in all black leather, doomed to carry the weight of the Shadows on his back, stands at his Master's free side, scowling sharply at her, while his partner Pikachu sits on his shoulder, snickering at Midnight's reaction. _"What? You never seen a couple of guys appearing out of thin air before? Hehehehehe"_

Terra grins like the Liepard that got the Chatot, chuckling lightly at the amusing antics of the Electric mouse. "I never get tired of that" Steelix is quick to add in his own words, saying that Terra isn't the only one who enjoys it.

" _So… You want Mr Personality to tell everyone what this wimp just said? Ain't gonna happen. I ain't a fucking Chatot that just repeats everything it hears in hopes of getting a cracker, Goldilocks already told you what Tarzan did, and the Dragon's Bitch has his memory. Do I have to do you jobs for you already? Come on people! Use the tiny muscles in your heads, they're called_ _br-ain-s_ _"_ Mason turns his eye to his starter, speaking without the use of words. The Electric type nods his head in acknowledgement. _"Yeah OK, I can do that. Hey! Listen up dumbasses! Mr Personality wants me to tell you a little something about everyone's favourite asshole, Tarzan… The guy is a mother fucking asshole, and a Monster. He's got more power in one finger than most Knights have in their entire bodies, he takes more hits than anyone we've ever seen, and he still gets up and fights back. But you don't really see it until he goes Super Saiyan an-"_

" _ **BULLSHIT!**_ _"_ Zoroark screeched, cutting off Pikachu's explanation of events prematurely. _"The Burst is the pinnacle of Aura power, only exceptionally gifted Aura Knights have the potential to transform, let alone go all out and enter their Burst Form! There's no way that little shit has that kinda power inside him! I'd have felt it!"_

" _When?"_ Gardevoir piped up, her now dry eyes scowling angrily at the Dark fox. _"When would you have felt it, hmm? When you slashed his face open for no reason?!"_

Zoroark snarls angrily at the gentle Psychic, his crimson hair like fur raised aggressively. He clenches his claws, trying hard to resist the urge to test his Night Slash out on her. _"I had a perfectly good reason. I felt like it"_

" _YOU DID WHAT?!"_ Pikachu hisses, his cheeks crackling with electricity. _"YOU ARE A DEAD MAN WALKING ZOROARK! NO ONE FUCKS WITH TARZAN EXCEPT US AND THE FAT LUMP!"_

"Easy" Mason said, his voice forcibly calm and collected. Masking his seething rage. "Tell them more"

Backing down at word of his trainer, Pikachu continues to glare angrily at Zoroark and allows the occasional crackle of electricity flow from his cheeks. _"Fine. HEY! Listen up,_ _all of you_ _, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. Red can transform and turn Super Saiyan, but he can't control his own power. At all. He can't even transform when he wants to, and trust me, he's tried. When it does happen though, he becomes… Err… I wanna say a fucked up crack addict on meth, but I better be serious. Let's just say he turns into something weird. Bottom line, Eis caused all of this shit. He tried to have one of his servants_ _rape_ _one of Red's friends, so Red would leave the Silver Forest and then come to the city, so Eis could force him to transform. Fuck knows why, but he did. Happy now? It wasn't Red's fault, so let him go!"_

For a moment silence falls across the underground chamber, lined with precious stone, with all eyes fixing their gaze on either the Shadow or the Electric type. Even Drago momentarily pauses his hunt for the leprechaun to stare and Pikachu. "I have an itchy nut" He randomly decided to share, which near enough everyone ignores.

Deciding to take the burden of breaking the awkward silence herself, rather than making someone else take it upon their shoulders, Midnight clears her throat and speaks loud enough for all to hear. "Th-thank you for that… Report, Pikachu. I think there's a much easier way to put this debate to an end, at the end of the day we're not here to determine whether Redmud is guilty or not… We're here to decide whether or not to execute him" A rustle of mumbles of agreement follows her words, with some offering their own suggestions on how to deal with this situation. "Spirit, could you be so kind as to show us the memory that you extracted from Redmud? I believe it will be enough to put this all to an end, and allow us to make a decision"

The silver haired Psychic blows a raspberry mockingly, making Gardevoir and Salamance giggle and bark with laughter respectively. "Is Blaze an asshole? Does Terra have an ego bigger than his head?"

" _YES!_ _"_ Pikachu answered, knowing full well it was a rhetorical question, making a few of the Masters giggle and laugh some more.

"Of course I can sister, I'd be happy to" Spirit replied, her eyes turning from a glowing pink to a luminous blue with every word that leaves her mind.

A large bubble like, violet coloured Aura Orb forms above the white marble floor, filled with a still image of the Battle of Lumiose city, when and where it first began. _"I love a good action movie! Hey Drago, got any popcorn hidden away?"_ Pikachu asked, rubbing his paws together fiendishly.

"Better! I got a bucket o' Remoraid heads! Yummy yummy!" The Dragon Knight called back, holding a large bucket filled with fish heads. Raising the question which no one wants an answer to, just where did he get it?

As the images within the bubble like projection begin to move, replaying the terrible battle from its beginning, Midnight's golden eye turns from the Orb to meet the eye of her First. "(It's time Mason. I'll do everything I can to keep them distracted, but you won't have long)" She said to him, via Aura Message.

"(I don't need long)" He replied, nodding his head and silently stepping back.

"(I know, your Shadow training really shines with things like this… Just go, be quick, your brother needs you. More than you realise)"

* * *

Several hours have passed since Red drove away the only visitor who has graced him with her presence, who didn't come to inflict pain or humiliation. And yet he is exactly as he was when she left. Chained to the spot, unable to move so much as an inch. His head is hung low, allowing the constantly flowing blood to trickle from his lips, mixed with strings of drool.

The effects of dehydration are becoming painfully apparent, chronic fatigue has begun to set into his body, rendering his muscles completely useless. If the chains were suddenly removed from his flesh, he'd fall straight to the floor, completely useless. The harsh truth is, he simply doesn't have the strength to move. If only he hadn't been so stubborn, so blinded by his own pride, and taken the water that was offered to him. If he had, he might have had the strength to acknowledge the searing pain that has consumed his throat. But he was and he didn't, so now he must pay the price.

"Mama always said my pride would bite me in the ass one day… Guess she was right. God, what I wouldn't give to go home now… Even if she does skin me alive" He thought, longing to feel his overprotective mother's loving embrace yet again.

The only sound that can be heard through the veil of silence that has been cast upon this chamber is the rhythmic beating of his heart. He can feel it, pulsing within his ears. It's weak, far weaker than it usually is, the question is: Why? Could it be because he hasn't moved any part of his body, besides his head, for days? Or is it caused by the same thing that causes his other ailments, dehydration?

Whatever the case, it's of no real concern, not while his mind is wracked with such horrendous pain. Spirit's handiwork. She forced her way into his head, his mind, and tore her way through everything within it, shredded it apart, as she searched for the shards of his memories. Forcing him to relive every agonising second of it. Why couldn't she have just taken it and gone? Why did she have to hurt him? It's not like it's the first time a Psychic has rummaged through his head, many of them have done it many times, but never has it hurt before. Hell, even when Alakazam pried his mind open in search of memories of the Burst, it didn't hurt one bit… What Spirit did, it was just fucking torture.

She barely said a word to him, asking only the most essential of questions and barely responding to his, so what was she trying to do? Was the whole point of her actions just to torture him? Probably. Everyone else who has come here has inflicted pain, in some way or another.

"Haven't I been punished enough? They've taken everything from me… Just fucking kill me and get it over with" He thought, resigned to his eventual fate.

" _ **As you wish"**_ The voice of the Beast whispered, from within his own head.

No sooner than the words fill his mind than unspeakable pain grips his heart, as though a hand of steel reaches into his chest and crushes the pump within. "No! No not now!" He thought, panicking and grinding his teeth. Adrenaline courses through his veins, granting him the strength to struggle against his shackles, but to what end? There is no escaping that which is to come.

A fire as black as Darkness itself ignites within his tainted heart, burning its way through to the surface of his scarred flesh. Red screams in unimaginable agony, thrashing his head around violently as he does, sending strings of blood flying through the air and across the walls and floor. _**"FREEDOM!"**_ It roared, making the Black Fire leap from his flesh and form the twisted body of the Beast.

Hair as black as the fire that sustains its existence bursts through the Darkness, as wild and messy as the Warrior's usually is. A mouth full of razor sharp canine fangs opens, allowing its purple tongue to hang out of its newly solidified mouth. No fingers or thumbs grow from its dried black hands, only talons made of solid black bone, each one designed to hook into flesh and never release it. The creature of Darkness uses its elongated toes to support its weight, leaving its Lucario like feet and legs unnecessary. The orbs of sight this foul creature use are as black as they were many years ago, Liepard like with a blood crimson line surrounding the slit like pupil. A hooded black robe covers its 8'7" body, giving the eye no insight into the rest of its bodily structure. Black fire burns across the edges of its robes, giving off a deep crimsons glow that illuminates the entire chamber.

Its foul cackle of laughter fills the room, as the final shreds of Black Fire fall from its body, dispersing into nothingness. _**"Sweet freedom is once again mine"**_

The bound Warrior of Mew breathes deeply and heavily, sweat pouring from his body, exhausted beyond measure. The Beast stole every ounce of energy that was left within his body, without it, he is even more vulnerable and exposed. All he can do is tremble as though the weight of the world is on his shoulders.

Cracking its head to the side, the Beast stretches its body out, pumping blood throughout its newly formed limbs. A grin befitting a psychotic murderer forms across its twisted face. _**"Hello Boy"**_ Clearly enjoying both the sight and smell of his fear.

"FUCK OFF! GO BACK TO HELL WHERE YOU BELONG!" He thought, the overwhelming petrification keeping him from uttering more than a simple whimper, like a scared child.

Turning its twisted eye from Red to the cobblestone walls of the prison it has formed it, it examines their surface, as though attempting to determine its whereabouts. _**"This isn't the Cage, nor is it the forest… Where have you gone this time, Boy?"**_

Red holds silent, unable to move his lips through his fear, he simply stares at the animal standing before him. "What? What the fuck has it done now? It's never done anything like this before" He thought.

" _ **I know this place. It's one of those places where your disgusting kind reside in, what's it called?… Ah yes, a Barracks. I thought this would have been destroyed in the battle. It seems Knights are more resourceful than I thought"**_ Turning its head back to its bound victim, it's grin broadens. _**"Is this how Knights treat their… Heroes? Hehehehehe. I saw what you did to that place Boy, you certainly had some fun"**_ Placing it's hand against the cobblestone wall, experiencing the coldness of the stone against it's talons. _**"But I'd have left nothing standing. This whole area would be nothing but cinders… If only Eis had assigned a place for me within his glorious plan"**_

The flames of courage burning within Red's heart, begin to flicker and die, he no longer has the strength to continue looking at the Beast. Shutting his good eye as tightly as he can, he turns away from the animal.

" _ **You've certainly been rewarded for your 'bravery' HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_ It hissed, circling the shackled Warrior, stepping over the chains with ease and examining his countless scars and wounds.

Not content with simply blinding his own eyes, Red attempts to shut off his other senses, to leave himself completely blind to the world around him… But without the use of his powers, he can do nothing of the sort. "How the fuck did it escape my heart?! It's been trapped in there for years, why did it break out now?! And why didn't it just possess me like it usually does?!" He thought, panicking even further.

" _ **I have outgrown the need to possess you, Boy"**_ The cold voice of the Beast broke through his thoughts. _**"I can do as I please!"**_ A slash of its talons across Red's exposed back rends the hardened flesh from bone, and coaxes a scream of pain from his tightly shut lips. _**"It seems your blood is only black when I possess you"**_ It's tongue wraps around it's blood covered talons, cleansing them of the crimson fluid. _**"It's not as sweet as tainted blood"**_

Red ignores the searing pain across his back, refusing to surrender and open his eyes. "I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing my fear" He thought through gritted teeth.

Heat wafts across the exposed neck of Red Ketchum, paralysing his racing mind in an instant. _**"Are you afraid?"**_ Stabbing its talons into the sides of his neck, it yanks his head back sharply. _**"I said… Are you afraid?"**_

"N-n-no. I-I-I'm no-ot" He stammered, his voice cracking every other syllable, as blood runs down the black talons of the Beast.

" _ **Even my Darkness, cannot hide your terror"**_ With every word that passes through its fangs, its talons dig deeper into his flesh, before long they press into the vertebra of his spinal cord. _**"You've got a spine… That's funny; I didn't think humans had them"**_

"L-let me go" He whimpered.

" _ **Why not?"**_ It hissed, ripping its talons free from the confines of his flesh, sending strings of blood and chunks of flesh flying in all directions. Refusing to grant it the satisfaction of hearing him scream, Red clamps his good eye shut tightly and grits his teeth, releasing only muffled murmurs of pain. _**"I can smell just how afraid you really are…"**_

"F-fuck you"

In the blink of the human eye, the black bone talons of the Beast puncture the soft and supple flesh of Red's lower jaw and pull through his open mouth, looping back around against its palm, to capture his jaw in a perfect ring of pain. The Apprentice of Mew's eyes wrench open, but are instantly caught by the black eyes of his greatest fear. Ensnaring his soul within its heated grasp. The Beast gazes deeply into Red's eyes, the light within them has scattered apart, like a Rattata runs from a Fearow. _**"Not going to command me to release you? Not going to promise me a painful demise for touching you? Hehehehehe"**_ It's tongue reaches into the gashes across his face, lapping up the blood that flows from the ragged flesh.

Tears swell within Red's eyes, tears which he refuses to release. "G-get off me. L-let me go. Go away! Leave me alone!" He mentally screeched.

" _ **You belong to**_ _ **me**_ _ **Boy"**_ It hissed, pulling its tongue away to speak. _**"I'll do what the fuck I want to you… But I'm getting bored with you, tormenting a prisoner who can't even move is starting to lose its gleam. I want**_ _ **real**_ _ **prey… What's your sister's name? Lily? I think it is…"**_

Red's eyes sharpen and regain their blade like focus, emanating raw fury and hatred at the mention of his twin's name. This does not go unnoticed by the Fear Master, it smirks broadly. _**"Oh… Did I hit a nerve? Don't you like that idea? Does it make you angry? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_

"If you even think of touching my sister, I'll-" He mentally snarled, before being interrupted.

Beast's laughing abruptly stops, while simultaneously tightening its grip across Red's jaw. _**"You'll do what? Hmm? Destroy me? Rip the flesh from my bones? Gut me? Tear me limb from limb? Come on tough guy, tell me what you're gonna do"**_ Not so much as a single syllable forms within Red's conscious mind, but his anger and hatred remain clearly visible within his eyes. _**"Why so silent? A moment ago you were threatening me, saying you'll do something if I touch your precious sister. Have you already lost your nerve,**_ _ **Boy?**_ _ **"**_ With the final word it tugs its talons lightly, drawing Red closer.

The sudden and clear reminder of both the difference in power, as well as his own weakness, grants the soul crushing fear within his heart the strength to once again take hold. His eyes lose their sharp focus, becoming scattered and glass like once again. _**"Your eye talks to me… You really have lost your nerve! Hehehehehehe"**_ The sound of its sick laughter drives the Warrior's eye to shut again, yet again trembling with soul crushing fear. _**"Lily will soon die. She survived by pure chance, got lucky enough to be an anomaly in Eis' glorious plan… But she won't survive me. She'll know true suffering, like no one has ever known"**_

A spark of courage shines through the cloud of fear that binds his soul, ignited by the instinct to protect his sister. "L-l-leave h-ee-r al-al-alone. I-I-I'm the o-one you want. D-do… Do whatever the fuck you want to me, I don't fucking care anymore, just leave Lily out of this" The spark of courage grows brighter with every word that leaves his mind.

" _ **You'd sacrifice yourself to save your sister? Interesting behaviour…"**_ Staring into Red's swollen, black and shut eyes, it hisses again. _**"Look at me"**_

"No. I won't"

Angered by his defiance, the Beast tightens its grip across Red's bones, spreading tiny cracks across the surface of his jaw and teeth. _**"Look me in the eye"**_

"I won't" He responded, a little more firmly than before.

" _ **Look at me! LOOK AT ME!"**_ It hissed like a Seviper into his face.

Biting down as hard as he can, hoping to maybe bite through its talons, Red defiantly screams with his mind. "I WON'T!"

Not desiring to test the strength of its vessel's fear induced bite, Beast yanks its hand back sharply, tearing Red's jaw clean off and tosses it aside, before grabbing either side of his head and roaring into his face. _**"RED! LOOK AT ME!"**_

"I WON'T! I'LL DIE FIRST!"

Growing desperate, Beast digs its talons into his flesh much harder; blood drips down from the tips of these weapons to its knuckles. _**"LOOK AT ME YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! LOOK AT ME!"**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed, opening his eyes and sucking down deep and heavy breaths.

He is greeted not by the black and blood red eyes of the Beast, but by the deep blue eyes of Mason, filled not with hatred and rage, but with compassion and loyalty. His hood no longer conceals his black spikey hair, it's long enough to cover his forehead and brush his ears, but doesn't quite reach his eyes. The black cloth that usually conceals his face is also gone, allowing Red to see his cleanly shaven and scarless face.

"Look at me Red, it's me" The Shadow gently said, his hands holding his brother's face still and forcing him to look at him.

" _Easy Tarzan easy, calm down. No one's making you do anything, you don't need to scream 'I won't' at us"_ Pikachu said, from the comfort of Mason's shoulder.

The man named for a colour blinks repeatedly, unable to comprehend what his eyes are telling him. This can't possibly be right, where'd it go? Where's the Beast? Sensing his distress, Mason tightens his hold over his brother's face and takes a very deep calming breath, encouraging Red to do the same. _"Breathe Tarzan,_ _breathe_ _. Look at us, you know who we are"_ Pikachu said, worried for his brother.

"Lair!" Red horsed out, tightly shutting his eye again. "C-can't trick me again!"

" _Just breathe you dumb ass! Do what Mr Personality's doing and breath!"_ Pikachu snapped back.

Turning his sharp glare onto his starter, Mason silences his less than sympathetic tongue, before looking back at Red's trembling face. "It's OK brother. It's really me" He whispered, before releasing his grip across the auburn haired man's face, allowing him to move freely again.

Giving into temptation, Red reluctantly opens his eye once again, to see the man kneeling before him really is the man he thought he was. "B-brother?" He croaked, weakly. The Shadow Knight nods his head, confirming his identity to the obviously dazed and confused man. "M-m-my mouth… W-w-where?" The Left Hand of God horsed, probing the shadows for signs of the Beast, as well as the jaw that was ripped from his head.

" _Your mouth?"_ Pikachu questioned, looking confused. _"Your mouth's fine Tarzan, your lip's split to fuck and you look like shit, but your mouth's fine. Where's what? Besides us, you're the only one here moron. Just calm down and relax, no one's gonna hurt you"_ But his words go unheard by the one they are meant for.

"W-where-e'd it g-g-go? Whe-er-re is it? Go-gotta go. Bef-before it comes ba-back" Red horsed, shifting his line of sight with every passing second. Too weak to struggle against his shackles and in too much pain to understand that his jaw is where it belongs.

The Electric mouse shakes his head sadly with a sigh, realising the painful truth. _"Must be hallucinating. Poor bastard hasn't had anything to drink for fuck knows how long… Give 'im a drink for fuck's sake, then let's get him out of here. Blade should be able to whip him back into the Red we know"_

Nodding his head in agreement, the lone Shadow removes the flask of crystal clear water he brought, for exactly this moment, and presses it against the barren and cracked lips of his little brother. The sparkling clear fluid runs across Red's bone dry and crusted lips, washing away the blood the covers his chin. All traces of thought and fear momentarily vanish from his head, leaving his mind a blank slate fixed on only one thing. Downing as much of the offered water as is possible.

"What have those sick bastards done to you, brother?" Mason thought.

Knights are not known for their kindness towards those accused of treason, they're cruel and merciless, but Red is… Well Red. The toughest son of a bitch alive, practically impossible to finish off. He survived an approximate six hundred foot drop onto solid concrete, broken and beaten, but alive. He shook it off, put it out of his mind, and carried on despite the agonising pain of his shattered bones and shredded flesh… And yet here he kneels, so petrified of Arceus only knows what, that he didn't even recognise his own brothers.

"I'll get them. I'll hunt them down and make them pay for this. I swear on my fallen Master's grave, I will get revenge for you, brother. Ernie and Bernie will pay for this" Mason thought darkly, a matching scowl across his face.

Where is it? Where's the Beast? It was right here, tearing into his flesh and tormenting him even further. How could they have _not_ seen it? "Where is it?" Red asked, pulling his lips away from the flask. "You must have seen it. It's dangerous, tell me where it is. Need to kill it"

" _OK this has gotta stop… Just give 'im the water, I'll shut 'im up"_ Pikachu groaned, angered slightly by Red's continued blathering about something that doesn't exist. Mason does as instructed and presses the water to his brother's lips again, pouring more of the tasty fluid down his barren throat. _"Hey! Look at me Tarzan, look at the Chu-meister!"_ Pikachu snapped, clicking his fingers as he does, drawing Red's fearful eyes to his copper ones. _"I don't know what you're talking about Red, when we got here you were on your own… Screaming like a baby, but on your own. You kept mumbling shit like 'let me go' and 'I'm the one you want' too. You've been hallucinating bro, seeing shit that ain't really there, it may have felt real at the time, but it wasn't. You haven't had enough to drink, that can fuck your senses up_ _big time_ _and with everything else those bastards have done… It just got too much for you bro. Trust us, whatever you saw and felt, it wasn't real. Now shut up asking where it is and drink your god damn water!"_

A hallucination? A fantasy? Was everything he saw, he felt, just… A dream? But it felt so real! He felt its talons slice through his flesh and spill his blood! Felt it rip his jaw clean off his head!… But it's still there… His jaw is still part of his head, allowing him to drink the precious water, if it _was_ real then that couldn't be… It must have been a hallucination, he's had them before. It simply wasn't real.

His eyes fall shut in the blissful contentment of relief, it wasn't real, none of it happened. Lily and the others are safe from the Darkness lurking within his heart. "Oh thank you merciful Master… Thank you" He thought, tears of joy swelling within his eyes.

" _ **It was no hallucination,**_ _ **Boy**_ _ **"**_ The Beast whispered into his ear. The sound of its demonic hiss within the confines of his ear shatters the building relief within his heart, turns his warm blood as cold as ice, and leaves him trembling like a Goomy facing off against Yveltal himself. _**"Keep your wits about you Boy; you cannot keep me caged forever. Sooner or later the strain will grow too great for you to endure; you'll have no choice but to let me out… And when you do, nothing will restrain me ever again. Not you. Not your lizard. Not your insect… Not even that false goddess will restrain my savage fury"**_ Every word the foul creature of Darkness utters drives the cruel truth into Red's skull harder. It was no hallucination. It was real, _very_ real.

Through his Connection with Mason, Pikachu's senses are far sharper than any normal Pikachu's could possibly be, but even without these heightened senses there is no way he could possibly miss the tsunami of terror rising within Red's blue eyes. _"You OK Red? What'cha scared of?"_

Seeing he has had his fill of water, Mason removes the flask from his lips, allowing him to speak once again. "Brother?"

The Warrior's eyes swell with salty tears, making them sparkle in the dim light. "Please… Take me home" He whimpered, his voice quivering like that of a child struggling not to cry.

His desperate plea leaves both the Shadow Knight and his partner, who is as much a Shadow as Mason is, completely and utterly speechless, unable to comprehend just what their senses tell them. Never in all their years of knowing Red have either of them seen even a trace of tears in his eyes, no pain has ever been great enough to coax them from him, ever. Red regards the act of shedding tears as a sign of weakness, something he could never allow himself to reveal, to anyone. Pain could never draw water from him, but a hurting heart… Perhaps. For Red to expose his emotions, to display such an obvious sign of weakness for them to see, something must have forced itself through his emotional armor and pierced his sensitive heart.

Electricity crackles across Pikachu's red cheeks, sparked by the unspeakable fury within his heart. _"Permission to gouge Blaze's eyes out with a melon baller"_

"Denied" Mason quickly spat back, just as angry as his starter, but maintaining a focused mind much better than he. Placing his hand on Red's exposed shoulder, he is careful not to touch the scar he left him with. "Let's get you out of here, brother"

* * *

" _YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"_ Gallade screeched at the top of his lungs, as he threw a Power-Up-Punch into Luke's face, smashing his cheek and splitting the flesh open. Luke, now dressed in his usual grey attire, lands hard on the ground, his locket bouncing off the floor slightly. The Blade Pokémon quickly stands over his Master, seething with white hot fury. _"HOW COULD YOU HAVE SEX WITH HER?!"_ He screeched, throwing another punch into Luke's face, smashing his nose and sending blood in all directions. _"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"_ Gallade throws another punch into Master's face. _"I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE FUCKED IN THE HEAD, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! IT'S INCEST YOU DISGUSTING MOTHER FUCKER!"_ Ending his rant, by spitting on his victim.

After a moment spent on collecting himself, the Knight bearing the Brand on his wrists, rises into a sitting position and spits out a mouthful of blood, hidden in which is a tooth. "She's a grown woman Gallade, she do what she wants" He simply said, not angered by the beating. "She's not even _your_ daughter anyway" He added, wiping the blood from his lips.

Grabbing his Master by the collar of his tank top, Gallade leans his piercing crimson eyes close to Luke's face. _"She's as good as my own flesh and blood!"_ He snarled. _"Blood's never mattered to the Ketchums before, it's not gonna start now! Lily is as much my daughter as she is yours, and you fucked her!"_ The Mage trained Psychic/Fighting type throws another punch into Luke's face, knocking him back down to the ground, on his belly.

Slowly lifting himself from the ground, the Mage without a staff spits out another mouthful of blood. "Exactly. Blood means nothing to us, never has, never will"

" _So that makes it OK to have sex with your daughter?!"_ Gallade spat, bearing containing the urge to strike again. Instead waiting for him to turn on his back, if only so he can throw the punch into his face.

"She came onto me" Luke said, as he rolled onto his back. "She wanted to feel loved, so I made her feel loved. What's the fucking problem? Who are you to judge me, when you've done far worse?!"

In the time it takes for the diaphragm to draw oxygen into the lungs, Gallade is able to lunge forward and grab the locket dangling from his Master's neck tightly. The lying Knight's eyes fix onto the hunk of gold in his partner's hand, his eyes dilating in terror. "Gallade… Don't" He whispered, afraid to speak louder.

" _You think that makes it OK? Just because she doesn't know who you really are, you think it's OK to defile her? You preyed on my daughter. You took advantage of her"_ The Psychic/Fighting type said coldly, sending shivers down Luke's spine. With every word he speaks, his anger spikes to greater heights, without intending it to, his grip across the hunk of gold in his hand tightens, making a blue hue shine out from between his green fingers. _"Yes. I have done worse. Many times. I remember I once beat that…_ _Thing_ _, so badly it couldn't even move through the pain, it's every breath was agony… And all it did was dare to exist. So imagine what I'll do to you, for-"_

"FUCKING YOUR DAUGHTER!" Luke screamed, cutting Gallade off prematurely. "Yeah I know what I did, and guess what?! I'll do it again and again and again! She's into freaky shit too, want details?! Want to see the video I made?!"

The deadly calm demeanour of Gallade holds strong, unaffected by his partner's attempt to appear strong and unafraid. Their Connection tells him everything, Luke is absolutely petrified of him. Of what he could so easily expose. He raises the locket to eye level, squeezing to so tightly the light it emits becomes almost blinding. _"Do you want her to see what you_ _really_ _look like? Should I remove this Illusion you always wear? I don't even recognise you, Father doesn't recognise you… I bet even Delia wouldn't have recognised you, had she had the misfortune of seeing you again. After what we did, what_ _you_ _did"_

The battered and beaten Knight falls deathly silent, his venomous thoughts remain just that, thoughts. "Gallade… You can't. If you break the Illusion, then it won't just be Lily who knows who I am. We're traitors Gallade, _both_ of us. If the Knights found out who I really am, then we're both dead Gallade. Do you understand? Dead"

The male counterpart to the Ralts evolutionary line tightens his fist even further, bending the metal between his fingers and making a blue hue radiate from all across Luke's body, one that is not caused by his Aura. _"I could do it you know. It'd be easy, like breaking a tooth pick. I'll gladly go to the deepest circle of Hell, if I can take you with me,_ _brother_ _. One squeeze… And Lily will know exactly who you are"_

Knowing that the prospect of execution does not stir enough fear within Gallade's corrupted heart, the male changes tactics. "And you want her to know? Is that it?" He quickly countered, breaking the crimson eyed Pokémon's stance. "You want her to know whose cock she sucked dry? Whose tongue was in her pussy? Whose mouth stuck her tits in?! WHO SHE TIED UP AND RODE LIKE A PONYTA?!" Every word that passes through his lips chips away at Gallade's resolve, loosening his grip slightly. "I'm sure as Hell never gonna tell her, I couldn't hurt my little girl like that. But if you want her to know so badly, if you want to destroy her like that, then go ahead. Just tell her. Tell her _everything_. But I swear to you, it'll be the last thing you ever do"

Gallade raises a brow, intrigued by his brother's threat; it has been a long time since they last squared off against one another seriously. It would be interesting to see how they stack up against one another, as well as a welcome opportunity to make him suffer further for what he has done. _"You're right"_ He said coldly, dropping the locket. _"I can't tell her that she… So you think you have what it takes to kill me? Hmm?"_

The Mage drops his head back down to the ground, sighing deeply. "You don't know… Do you?"

" _Know what? Speak"_ Gallade spat.

Lifting his head up slightly, Luke speaks again. "I'm a weak, weak man Gallade. Always have been. Never could resist temptation… Always hated myself for hating Red and wanting to see him dead. I tried to burry my feelings; pretend they weren't really there, and instead of inflicting pain on him myself… I let you do it, then healed the wounds and sent him back to Dad. Telling him it was perfectly normal to be beaten to a bloody pulp for nothing. The day he died was a happy one for the both of us, but now it's come back to bite us in the ass"

The sharp eyes of Gallade narrow angrily at the mention of his former Apprentice, disgusted by even the mention of his name. _"I have beaten you to a bloody pulp. You are at my mercy. And you start talking about a dead mistake? Red's dead. Dead and buried in the past,_ _it's_ _never coming back. It's… His skeleton is probably being used as a breeding ground for Water Pokémon. Why insult me by mentioning that thing's name?!"_

"Why?" Luke quickly replied. "Because my boy is alive"

" _Liar"_ Gallade snapped back, quicker than a flash. _"That thing is dead. You can't deflect my anger by spouting lies, unlike Lily I know exactly who and what you are, how your sick and twisted mind works"_

Rising from the blood stained ground into a sitting position yet again, Luke glares daggers into Gallade's crimson eyes. "You calling Lily a lair? She's the one who told me that he's alive, _and_ that he's returned from the Holy Ground. To stay" The stern expression of Gallade holds strong, not faltering in the slightest. He remains silent, waiting to hear more. "I felt it Gallade. I felt his power. It was only for a moment, but I felt it. You don't fucking believe me, do you? Go to the surface then, there's fuck knows how many Spirit Shards in the rubble. He made every single one of 'em"

Through the outer signs of discipline and rage, the stern eye of Gallade twitches in its socket. Taking a step back, he shakes his head slightly, unable to believe what he is hearing. _"No. No that's not possible. Red can't be alive! He's dead! YOU'RE LYING!"_ With each and every word he speaks, he takes another step back, gradually losing the emotional strength across his face.

"No. I'm not lying" The bearded Knight replied with a solemn tone, staring up at the ceiling as he does. "Red's alive and he's gonna come for us… _Both_ of us. We're dead men walking Gallade. Might as well enjoy what little time we've got left"

His words snap Gallade back to his senses, his eyes sharpen once again. _"Is that why you defiles Lily?! Are you so desperate for one last taste of pussy that you'd even fuck you own daughter?!"_

Looking at his brother of the Psychic/Fighting elements with a pitiful look within his eyes, Luke nods his head. "Yes. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm dead either way; I just wanted to know the pleasures of a woman one last time. But I'll do it again; I'll fuck her again, because she's by far the best fuck I've ever had… Maybe it's because it's such a dark taboo, her fruit is forbidden to me, so that makes it all the sweeter"

No pity stirs within Gallade's blackened heart, only the greater fury of a crimson glow, surrounding his fist as a Power-Up-Punch. _"YOU PIECE OF MOTHER FUCKING SHIT!"_ He screeched, throwing the attack into his partner's face.

* * *

While the Psychic/Fighting Knight unleashes is seething rage upon his brother, hearing a truth that he cannot believe or accept, the auburn haired Warrior himself resides in the bedroom that has been designated his own, within the living quarters his family has been assigned. Where they resided ever the battle came to an end.

Darkness fills this tiny slice of privacy, broken only by the crimson glow of Red's recovered swords and axe, sitting in the corner of the room. Red sits on the edge of his new found bed, while significantly more comfortable than the stonework he's become accustomed to this past week, it brings no joy to his solemn heart. In his hand he holds a pristine bottle of vodka, half empty, gone down his throat to fill his belly. Yet the potent poison known as alcohol has yet to take hold within his empty stomach, Red has yet to feel even the slightest buzz from the vodka. An anomaly, even within the ranks of Aura Knights alcohol has the same effects on them, as it does on those they are sworn to protect.

The Warrior has fallen low in these past seven days, stripped of his pride, his freedom and his dignity… What does he have left to lose? What else can the humans take from him?

Information. Knowledge can still be stripped from his damaged mind, demanded and taken. The moment he set foot in this place Lily and Serena pounced on him, forcing him to bathe and change into some fresh clothes, if only to remove the odour that bothered them so fiercely. And then came the questions, the endless barrage of questions and demands for answers…

Why didn't he tell them about his heart? How it pains him from time to time and leaves him so weak he cannot even move?

"Because it's none of your fucking business" He thought bitterly, clutching the bottle tighter. A twinge of his heart draws his free hand to the left side of his chest, clutching the painful flesh. "It's my fucking problem; I'll deal with it myself. I don't need any help. From anyone"

After answering what felt like a never ending clip of bullet like questions, each more invasive and humiliating than the last, the teenage girls decided that they'd asked enough of him for one day. Instead they tried to force themselves on him, to embrace him tightly and feel the heat of his blood, as well as hear the rhythmic beat of his heart. But before they could do more than raise their arms and take a step, the lone Shadow stepped in the way, stopping them and spoke unto them a warning. "Don't touch him. Never touch Red, never touch his scars" It was a simple warning, one that left much unsaid.

No matter how much time passes, or how large his body grows, some things will never change. Mason will always see Red as his little brother; he will always guide and protect him from the dangers of the world of humanity… Even when that danger is himself and his inability to be touched by another human being.

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself" He horsed, unable to speak properly with his damaged throat. "I crushed those Paladins like they were nothing, kept my family safe! I fought to protect the Pokémon too! I even took on Eis alone! And where were you?!" Attempting to shout, a trickle of blood falls from his lip. "Fucking hiding in the shadows! Killing them before they could even see you!… F… Following me from afar… Keeping the worst of them away from me, when I protected that Ampharos… Y-you… Got me out of the ice, when I couldn't move"

The electric blue eyes of Red fall low to stare into the wooden floor, his breathing deepening, becoming heavier and a greater effort to make, a side effect of his damaged heart. "Y-you… Broke me out of the ice and paralysed Eis. Gave me the chance to fight back… W-when I-I was… Primal Red… You stopped me from… Killing those humans, and turned me against Eis. Without your h-help, I might not have turned against him… And then, when I fell, you dug me out of the rubble. Healed me and let me fight again… With… Without your help, they'd all be dead" Releasing a pent up sigh, his eyes fall shut. "And without you, brother, I'd still be chained up like a Paladin… Slowly dying… Ah shit"

Taking another sip from the bottle in his hand, he sighs deeply. Why isn't this stuff working yet? When Lily gave it to him she said it'd make him feel better if he drunk it, well it ain't done shit yet. She also said that if he drank too much of it, it'd hurt him… "Well I'm already hurting" He thought bitterly, while chugging down an entire gulp of the burning hot, yet cold liquid.

Depositing the bottle down on the floor, careful not to spill a single drop of it, the Knight named for the colour of his Aura drops back down on the bed, covering his face with his hands. The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow, but never the less it has made itself painfully clear. "I can't… I can't take care myself here. I'm nothing but a burden here, Hell if it wasn't Mason, they'd all be dead because of me… Reality's a bitch… But the truth is, I just don't belong in this world. Not anymore"

" _ **You never did"**_ The Beast whispered, it's hissing voice filling his ears. The hands of Red slide down his face sharply, exposing his shaking, fear filled eyes. _**"Wherever you go, you spread death and destruction. She's dead. Your mother is**_ _ **dead**_ _ **, because of you"**_

"N-no… Th-that's not true"

" _ **Delia was slaughtered like a Tepig because of you. She's dead because of you!"**_

"Shut up" Red replied, covering his ears. "Stop it"

" _ **You're a curse to everyone you love"**_ Beast spoke, louder than before. _**"Run as far as you want, they'll still die. Every last one of them!"**_

Pulling himself back into a sitting position, practically crushing the life from his ears in an attempt to block out its voice, Red clamps his eyes shut and speaks. "No. I'll protect them from you! I'll kill you! No matter what it takes! I'll send you back to Hell where you belong!"

" _ **You will be the one to kill them, every last one of them. Just like you killed Chrono!"**_

"SHUT UP! I tried to protect Chrono!"

" _ **You killed him. Say what you want to, but we both know that you killed the closest thing you had to a father… Because you can't control your power. You destroy everything you love, because you can't control your power!"**_ The Beast snarled, it's voice coming from everywhere around him.

Pain surges through his battered and beaten body as he buckles himself forward, feeding off the pain it causes him. "I tried!" He whimpered. "I tried so hard! I just couldn't do it! I couldn't stop him! _SHUT UP!_ "

" _ **You let Malithor kill him, you let him mutilate Chrono!"**_ It hissed, venom dripping from its every syllable. _**"Chrono's dead because of you! Delia's dead because of you! Ski's dead because of you! Everyone's dead,**_ _ **because of you!**_ _ **"**_

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Red whimpered, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Somehow kept in place, somehow kept from falling across his face. "You don't know anything! Shut up!"

" _ **They'll all die, every last one of them. Because of you. Because you can't control your own power! Everyone you care about will die, just like they all did, because of you!"**_ The demon of Black Fire roared inside his head.

Red's resolve to not show weakness fails him, tears leak from the corners of his eyes and fall down his painful and blackened face. "No. No one's ever gonna die for me again. No one. I won't let them" He cried, unable to control the tone of his voice.

" _ **Lily will be the first to die, because of you! Because you can't control your power! She'll be torn to shreds!"**_

"STOP IT!" He screamed, pulling his hands away from his head and wrenching his eyes open once again. Just as quickly as it came, the voice of the Beast vanishes again, leaving no trace it was even there and taking with it the pain of his heart.

But it makes no difference; the damage has already been done.

Snatching the bottle off the ground, he wraps his lips around the opening in the glass and downs an entire gulp of the burning hot toxin. "I'm so sorry Chrono… I let that bastard kill you. But I promise I won't let him hurt anyone else, I'll kill Malithor. I'll rip his head off! I swear it!" He thought, losing himself in the pain of the past and the perturbing effects of the alcohol in his system.

* * *

 **Well that wasn't exactly a pleasant chapter… But one that was necessary.**

 _ **WHY WILL NO ONE ANSWER MY QUESTION!? WHO THE HELL IS RUDY?!**_

 **(Sigh) It's a movie reference you broken condom kid! From Ice Age 3! You should know, you were obsessed with that movie just two weeks ago!**

 _ **PROVE IT! I DEMAND A RECOUNT!**_

 **And I demand you shut the fuck up and let do the outro!**

 _ **Ooooh! IS IT THAT TIME?! DR FOOT IS IN THE HOUSE!**_

 **NO! NO DR FOOT! NO! If you start talking to your foot again, I'll get you, and it'll look like a fucking accident!**

 _ **Like your face then? AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Red was a naughty boy, he got arrested…He's even got his own fangirl! WHAT?! HE TURNS DOWN A WOMAN WHO OFFERS HERSELF UP ON A PLATE FOR HIM?! HE AIN'T A REAL MAN! Dr Foot said so!**_

 **Yes… Red turned down a rather good offer, and before you all start thinking it's because he's in love with Serena, I'll say it's got NOTHING to do with that. There's a very good reason why he turned her down…. I FUCKING WARNED YOU DRAGO! NO MORE DR FOOT! (Dragon picks up a very big, very heavy and very** _ **dull**_ **meatcleaver)** **SHUT UP! I MEAN IT! I WILL END YOU!**

 _ **PUT RUSTY AND DULL BACK RIGHT NOW! YOU'RE SCARING HIM! And you can't kill me, we're the same person you dumb ass!**_

 **(Dragon covers his ears, still holding the meat cleaver) SHUT UP! SHUT UP! LALALALALALALALALALALALALALA!**

 _ **Since I broke Dragon's mind again, I'll take over from here! This outro is WAY too long already, so let's just get it over and done with! Before Drago kills me! THE BASTARD ALREADY HAD SOMEONE SHOOT ME WITH A FAIRY BULLET! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SICK THAT MADE ME?!**_

 _ **Anyway… We hope you enjoyed this chapter guys, and until next time… Shoot me with a review, nag Dragon into actually getting off his ass and doing something for once, ooh! Or better yet! Pull a Tiffany and troll us! It's so much fun! Do whatever you guys want!**_

 _ **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOU FOOT!**_

 **I won't get my beautiful meat cleaver all bloody by killing you with it Drago, I'll get a special skinning knife for ya! (Tosses meat cleaver down onto the ground, not noticing what he has hit)**

 _ **Umm… Dragon. Your tail.**_

 **What about it you inbred fuck?! (Looks down at tail along the floor) Oh I see!… I've chopped it off.**

 _ **Give 'im a minute guys, he's a little slow with pain, as all our IRL friends and his Pretty Pink Princess knows! 3… 2… 1… And…**_

 **OH FUCKING GOD! I CUT MY TAIL OFF! NO! NOT AGAIN!**

 _ **AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I NEVER GET TIRED OF THAT! XD!**_

 **Dragons out!**


	16. Author Notes

**Hey guys, unfortunately the Mad Dragon didn't bring a new chapter with him this time, only Author Notes. Yeah I know, it's a dick move to post Author Notes after not posting a chapter for so long, but it's gotta be done!**

 **I have a couple of things to say here, one is pretty small but it's annoying the FUCK OUT OF ME! And the second is a big ass problem.**

 **The first thing I have to say, regards Lily's recent "activities" with her Master, Luke… I GET IT! I've been getting a lot of hate for this, mostly from my IRL friends, but a little from you guys too. You don't like the idea of Lily fucking Luke, for obvious resons, YOU THINK** _ **I**_ **LIKE IT?! I DON'T! It makes me sick to my stomach, but I did it for an IMPORTANT reason!**

 **Lily has issues with men and being loved, she thinks the only way that she can be loved is by using her body, she thinks men will walk out of her life if she doesn't fuck 'em. It's called a character flaw, one she'll be working on down the line. Now for why I had them do the deed… It was a mistake. Not by me, I did it on purpose and stand by it, but it was a mistake they both made.**

 **Lily thought Luke was hitting on her, when he called her beautiful, but really he was just seeing the beautiful aspects of her mother in her and commenting on it. They were both in pain from her loss… Doesn't make what he did alright, far from it, but it's why it happened in the first place.**

 **I swear to Christ Luke WILL pay for what he has done, when the time comes, he will pay dearly for his crime.**

 **Now I have explained it I expect the shit about it to end. It was done for a reason, trust that I didn't want to do it, but did it for a reason. If I could think of a better way to do it, trust me, I would have!**

 **Noooow for the next thing, the thing that's gonna upset at least a few of you…**

 **This story will soon be dead.**

 **But before you start thinking the worst, let me explain myself. Yes this story will soon be dead, BUT it will be reborn from the ashes of its failure, to rise into something fan-fucking-tastic!**

 **I have fucked this story up big time guys, I've tried to repair the damage by going back and rewriting most of the chapters, but it's just not working. I've missed out so many great opportunities for the plot and the characters, fucked up the plot line, and even betrayed my own vision for this story… I've rewritten these chapters so many times before posting them, that I've lost sight of what I originally wanted for them, and what I've posted is nothing but crap. (Sigh) It's a mess. A complete and utter mess. I don't know what else to say. There's no repairing it, the only thing I can do, is tear it down and start again… Two years. Been working on it for two years, and all I've got to show for it, is pure crap. (Sigh)…**

 **BUT ENOUGH FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF, LET'S LOOK TO THE FUTURE!**

 **I am very pleased to say I've come up with a great new way to start the story off, one that works much better than this version ever did, and will be much more entertaining to read. A big thank you to everyone who has submitted OCs for this story, I promise they WILL be brought into the new version. I love 'em all, and want to use them again! And they WILL be used again! So far I've only found the need to eliminate one character, as he's shit. But he's no one special and won't be missed… So no one cares!**

 **Drago: HEY! YOU PROMISED TWO EPIC BATTLES, WHERE ARE THEY?! LIAR!**

 **DRAGO?! WHO THEM FUCK LET YOU OUTTA YOUR CAGE?! GET BACK IN THE ATTIC NOW! And I know I promised two epic battles, and I will deliver them. I've had to start the chapter from scratch again because, as usual, I neglected to plan it out properly, but chapter 16 is on its way and it will be fucking epic!**

 **That's about all I have to say guys, I'm sorry if this news upsets any of you, but it's the way things go sometimes… It'll be a while before I post the new story, and until then this one'll still be here. Hell I might just leave it up in case any of you guys like it, doubt it though.**

 **So guys, I guess that's it…**

 **Drago: YOU MISSED SOMETHING! (Drago throws a pad of paper at his evil twin, hitting him in the head) DRINK IT! DRINK IT REAL GOOD!**

 **OW! Son of a… Huh? Oooh! I forgot, I didn't tell you guys the news! I won't be posting just one story, there's TWO new ones coming up soon! Just as soon as I get the early chapters outlined, I will be writing a new story, which'll probably be posted before this rewrite… Make sure to Follow me, so you can be the first to see… "The Time Keeper"**

 **Take a look at the summery!**

The world is a deadly, cruel and merciless place, and the Darkspawn have all but destroyed it. Leaving humanity and Pokémon at the brink of extinction, still they fight one another, as they have for centuries. Chrono, a rather unique Pokémon Hunter, sets out to hunt the ultimate prize, but instead is conscripted into a battle that will not only reshape the world, but time itself.

 **Drago: Sounds boring! JUST GET MY STORY BACK!**

 **SHUT YOUR SCALY MOUTH, MAMA'S BOY! I know the summery doesn't sound like much, but Fanfiction only allows so much in the summery box. Trust me guys, this one's gonna be a Hell of a lot of fun. Hehehehehe… The first of it's kind, a Pokémon and Dragon Age Crossover, that ISN'T a one-shot or a stupid ass gameshow!**

 **Drago: I'M NOT A MAMA'S BOY! AND I WANT MY STORY BACK! WANT IT NOW!**

 **It'll have a new name and summery, but you'll have it back! Just shut up already! Oh dear merciful God, why did I create him?!**

 **Drago: Because your friends dared you to act like an escaped mental patient in class for an hour! I WAS BORN THAT DAY!**

… **. I can't take this anymore. The new version of this story will be called "The heart of the Beast" and its summery is this…**

"Sometimes the world no longer needs a hero, sometimes what it needs most of all… Is a Monster"

The Darkness of this world lurks around every corner, hidden by the faces of ordinary men and women. The heroes of this world fight against this ancient evil, no matter the cost. But when a hero isn't enough, it falls to a Monster to do what must be done.

 **It'll follow 90% of the original themes and ideas for chapters, just done in a better way, that is much more entertaining to read and to write. I hope you guys are looking forward to them both!**

 **And now I take my leave… WHO THE FUCK TYPED THAT?! I DON'T TALK LIKE THAT! Chapter 16 will be the last thing posted on this story, after that, I'm afraid it will be DEADIFIED!**

 **DRAGON OUT BITCHES!**


	17. See the Future

**Chapter 16: See the Future**

 **OH HAPPY DAY! THE MAD DRAGON HAS** _ **FINALLY**_ **RETURNED FROM THE BOWLS OF HELL! AND HE BROUGHT ALL KINDS OF WICKED AND SADISTIC IDEAS WITH HIM! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **I guess I gotta explain, but I doubt anyone cares, so I'll just make it quick! A ton of IRL crap came up, and I mean a** _ **TON**_ **! Honestly, I'm surprised I'm still alive. No joke, at one point I honestly thought I was goanna die. But I survived and managed to write this chapter!**

 **That and every time I started writing my so-called friends broke in and deleted my crap. This chapter was first going to be a battle based one, which would mean I'd have kept my promise Gotta Catch 'Em All, but they kept deleting it and leaving VERY insulting messages behind. They can be very evil when they want to be… But hey that's why we're friends!**

 **So unfortunately the chapter had to undergo changes to stop them from deleting it. I swear I'll make up for it with both The Heart of The Beast and The Time Keeper.**

 **Time to respond to reviews! My favourite part of the A/N!**

 **Ultima The Eternal Dragon:** **HAHAHAHAHAHA! SO IT WAS** _ **YOU**_ **MR. U! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO VANDALISED RED'S ROOM! Count yourself lucky Lily can't find you, no one fucks with her brother except her! Lol. Red's OK dude, read on for yourself to see! Thanks for the reviews dude!**

 **BloodySpectre:** **Ah that's a shame dude, I always hate to lose a reader. A shame you didn't stick around to see why I did that… Unmentionable horrific ordeal, but for anyone who reads this, I swear it's been done for a reason. A good reason. And in the rewrite I am going to REALLY enjoy making that sick son of a bitch known as Luke suffer!**

 **Sealeous the Lich King:** **Ah my Lich King friend, the one who controls the legions of undead… Yes, Red has a monster within. The monster called Beast. And we shall learn a little more of him in this chapter. No one like's Luke my friend, he pisses everyone off, and his reasons for doing so are disgusting.**

 **I'm sure you'll enjoy harvesting his soul when the time comes my friend, do with him what you will, he deserves whatever cruel and sadistic punishment you can think of. But let Red fuck him up for life in the rewrite first, hehehehehe… Oh I'm going to enjoy that.**

 **Mr Awesome:** **HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Bro your head is shaped like an egg! Accept it! I already told you IRL but yeah those notes are WELL out of date, so you don't know shit! Good luck stealing the new notes bitch! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Princess:** **Awww! Thanks for the support baby!**

 **Wth:** **I sound like a complete loser and I'm Mr Awesome, and I made this all up to make it look like I have friends IRL…? I** _ **WISH**_ **that was the case dude! Then I wouldn't have nearly as many scars, traumatic memories or a police record because of him and the others! Loser? (MAD stares off blankly into space, flashes of highschool run through his mind's eye) Must… Give… Mr Awesome… SWIRLIES! HE STOLE MY SHIT AGAIN AND MUST PAY THE PRICE! AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! My god who calls anyone a loser anymore? You're obviously someone who reads my work, since you left the review on the first chapter and know about Mr Awesome. There's any number of people that I've pissed off, which means you could be any number of people, but I have a good idea of who you are… Stoner is that you? The anonymous account and language suits your wimpy style, don't worry I'm not pissed, I think it's hilarious bro!**

 **Tiger002:** **Dude! That chapter sucks donkey balls, but if you liked it then you'll love the rewrite! I've already responded to your review via PM, and it would take FOREVER to do it here, so let's move on!**

 **St Elmo's Fire:** **Ah my most hated scum bag on this website, the son of a bitch who destroys new writers. Well since I invited you to hate on my work I can't be upset or angry, nor would I be, since your comments were hilarious. Lol.**

 **Now for a quick goodbye, for this shall be the very last chapter posted for this story… Such a shame, this is where it ends, but from the ashes of failure two new glorious fics shall rise! I cannot wait to begin writing them and hope to see as many of you there as possible!**

 **And now… The final chapter, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm going to miss these witty disclaimers, I'm almost tempted not to put one in this time. Just to shake things up a bit… Ah fuck it! One more the lols!**

 **While Hell will freeze over before I become the owner of Pokémon there is one thing that is certain to happen… Luke's demise will be slow. Cruel. Drawn out. Bloody. And so sadistic it will make even I cringe.**

* * *

 **Previously**

Red was imprisoned within the Lumiose City Barracks, denied food and given barely enough water to survive, he was treated worse than the enemy. Only one was kind enough to show him mercy, yet he was so bitter and filled with so much hatred that he threw aside the only chance he had for aid.

Vulnerable and exposed, Red was at the mercy of the Beast within. At the mercy of a creature that knows not the meaning of the word.

While the Knight Masters fought amongst themselves and argued over the fate of their prisoner, Midnight instructed her First, Mason, to release Red from his prison. Yet even this wasn't enough to return him from his suffering, the memory of his failures drove him to drink, to try and block out the pain… And so he drank. He drank until he could no longer see straight. He drank until the pain from his liver blocked out the pain of his past.

* * *

" _Thank you Knights for answering my call, especially at such short notice"_ Mew spoke, her voice echoed throughout the heart of the Barracks. Knight Masters Terra, Drago, Spirt, Midnight and Blaze, along with their partners, all offered their respects to the patron of the order of Aura Knights, as did five new additions to the chamber.

"Bruno like kitty lady, him happy see her again." Master Bruno of the Fighting element announced. His booming, gruff voice easily overpowered the voices of his brethren. "Bruno serve her until him dead!"

The mountain of a man sat upon the smooth surface of the marble ground, somehow still able to look his brethren in the eye without the need to raise his chin. His raven black hair was tied back in a ponytail, long enough to reach half way down his back, somehow complimenting his deep brown eyes and accentuating his thick eyebrows. Wearing his armor, which the world mistakes for simple karate gear, his rippling muscles and tree trunk like arms were clearly visible. In one of his large, boulder like fists, Bruno held the shaft of his colossal hammer. The head of which alone must weigh over 200 pounds, yet was held with ease.

His four armed powerhouse of raw muscle, Machamp, stood beside him, each of his grey arms crossed. A Mega Stone sat within the black belt tied around his waist, partially concealing his natural coverings. _"We smash for Mew! Smash Paladins!"_

A huge gorilla like Pokémon pounded her fists against her chest, steam shot from her overly large, pink nostrils. _"LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!"_ Slaking bellowed, her powerful voice drowning out everything else within the chamber.

"OI! Shut the fuck up you big fat gorilla!" Knight Master Balanche screamed, her mighty lungs easily able to overpower her partner. "We've got a lot of introductions to get through so get on with it already!"

If Bruno was a mountain, then Balanche was a whale bound to the land. Weighing in over 200 pounds, Balanche's every step sent tremors through the earth. Despite her large size, her shape was well balanced; every part of her was a similar shape and size with no individual aspect being particularly larger, than any other. This allowed her armor to retain its style and shape, despite her large size and structure; however, that does not mean that it _looked_ like armor in the least bit. More like a fashion line from medieval times gone wrong. A dark brown top hat with circular goggles does not come to the mind of most when the word armor is mentioned. Yet Balanche wears it proudly, declaring it to be her favourite cosplay costume, steampunk. A dark brown corset like top slightly reduces her belly while amplifying her already ample bust to the point where her breasts could easily fall out of position. Particularly because no bra supports their mammoth weight. A matching skirt partially covers her thighs, with a white frill hanging out the bottom, adding to what some may call the sex appeal of her armor. The cape that usually accompanies this style of clothing is missing from her armor, having never been fond of the extra addition the Normal Master chose not to include it into her armor. Her curly chestnut hair, trapped in a loose pony tail, hung out from beneath her top hat to cover a portion of her back.

"HEY! NO BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL YOU FUCKING FAT BITCH!" Thorn the Poison Master declared, his armoured hand smacking the back of Balanche's head. "You know I hate fourth wall breaks so STOP IT!"

Thorn was easily the shortest of all the Knight Masters, barely reaching the five-foot mark, with a thin and scrawny body. Every inch of his dark skin was protected by his deep purple armor, even a bright green visor covered his eyes while still allowing him to see. Leaving not even the tiniest spec of his anatomy exposed to the elements, giving him an almost robotic appearance. A pair of back facing blades were held against his forearms, waiting for the push of a button to loose themselves upon the flesh of Thorn's enemies.

" _Yeah you just break the fourth wall yourself, dumbass."_ Croaked Toxicroak, leant against the wall behind his brother. His arms crossed against his chest, a set of large yellow eyes were rolled up to glare at the ceiling. _"Hey Power Ranger wannabe, think before you speak and maybe you wouldn't look like such a dumb ass."_

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Thorn shouted, his visor turning from green to a deep shade of red. "A POWER RANGER…?! Am I least the smokin' hot black guy?"

"In your wet dreams bitch!" Terra countered. "You're the bitch ass yellow Ranger."

"WHAT?! Fuck no that ain't happenin'!" Thorn retorted, shaking his head. "Do I look good in yellow? No. I look good in purple bitch, but there ain't no purple Ranger. I'm the black Ranger, end of."

"Ummmm… c-could everyone p-please calm down?" Granite shyly asked, his timid voice barely reaching the ears of his brethren. Silence fell across the sacred chamber, every eye fixed upon the stone like hide of Granite causing a deep blush to form upon his pale cheeks. "Uh-uh… w-we were s-summo-oned here for a re-reason… c-can we p-please hear M-Mew out? Yo-ou can argue later… please?"

The Rock Master's body was unique to say the least, his pale Caucasian skin rough and cold to the touch, like the surface of a boulder in the middle of a field. Inviting, yet foreboding, as if coming into contact with it shall cause harm or discomfort. A short mass of blonde hair covered his head, concealing the clear blue crystal like growth protruding from his skull. His pale blue eyes dilated to the point where the iris could barely be seen, so apparent was his nervous disposition that he appeared to be high on some form of drugs. Stoned, if you would.

For a Master he was lightly armoured. Chainmail covered his torso, leaving him light and quick of his feet, leather dyed a deep shade of green laid over this steel. While the linked metal protects from weapons, the leather protected from the elements. Being thin and lightweight this armor would provide little to no protection from a battle of Aura and Darkness, but this armor is that of a Master and is stronger and more durable than any solid steel. The skin across his left arm is crusted, hard, stone like. Made for protection against the string of his bow. Blue crystals protrude past the surface of said limb, emitting a faint light. More chainmail and leather protected his bottom half, tight against his body, it will not be moved by the strength of the wind. Against his back was a simple bow, made from obsidian and dotted with crystals giving it a nice design. Not even a single arrow lies across his form, let alone a quiver.

"I… I'm s-sorry. I-I'll be quiet n-now." Granite concluded, his head bowed low to avoid the gaze of his brethren. But no matter how low he sinks his gaze, how tightly he shuts his eyes, he cannot avoid the tension in the air. Running down the spines of each of the agitated Masters of the Knights.

" _Don't worry tough guy they wouldn't dare lay a hand on you"_ Gigalith encouraged, nudging his obsidian boulder of a foot against his partner. _"Your best friends with two of the toughest women on the planet and their psychotic partner Pokémon, plus you've got an egocentric asshole on your side and his giant steel snake. And don't get me started on that psychotic bastard and his Salamance, they're a deadly force all of their own and they say you're their brother. Plus you've got me, you know I'd always protect you."_

"Th-thank you, Gigalith." Granite smiled, momentarily forgetting the eyes of his fellow Masters were watching him.

"You think we'd let Hazzer rape you, bro?!" Terra asked, jumping to Granite's side and rather roughly slugging his arm over his shoulder. Making the nervous Master jump from fear and blush deeply. "You know us better than that Stoner, we're family."

" _Terra's right even though his ego is bigger than his penis."_ Gardevoir spoke, giggling into her hand with every word. _"There's no need to be so nervous, no one here will hurt you… TERRA! Use Balanche's title when we're in a meeting, use her nickname in private."_

"Stop fighting you meanies!" The final addition to the chamber spoke, silencing the voices of her brethren. "Granite doesn't like speaking to lots of people at once he's scared! He needs hugs, not to be teased! Be nice to him you big bullies!"

A void of silence filled the underground chamber, every eye remained fixed upon the Fairy Master, Sylph. Some looked upon her with distain, for her unique appearance or for what she had said, there was no way to be sure, but in either case Sylph did not care. Others were pleased that she had spoken out for her friend, and there was one who thought her choice of words were rather entertaining.

"All right Sylph! HUG HIM!" Drago encouraged, hung upside down from the chandelier. "Get in their Stoner! HUG HER!"

Sylph's skin was concealed from sight by the pinkish white fur that covered her slender body, but did not hide her perfect hourglass figure. Two long ribbon like ears extended down from her head, not unlike that of a Sylveon. Long beautiful pink hair fell to her waist line, partially covering her small, white wings. Like most of her body her eyes were also unique, her right being bright pink while her left sky blue. One thing that stood out from her appearance, was her face, it was not that of a human at all, it had a fox-like snout with cute little fangs poking past her lips. Her chest was by no means the biggest, only being a C-cup, but that did nothing to weaken her appeal.

A small dark pink tank top both acted as armor as well as showed off her skinny abdomen, light shoulder pads covered her shoulders, like the rest of her these too were a pinkish white colour. Gauntlets covered her hands with claws like that of a dragon, adding to the minor streak of menace in her appearance. Light pink shorts preserved her dignity and armoured leggings protected her.

Master Blaze and his black furred partner glared at their sister of the Fairy element, contempt clearly visible in their eyes. "Shut your mouth, furry." Blaze snapped. "This is not a school yard play ground; this is a meeting of Masters. Act like it."

" _You have no place within these walls. Pokephilia is prohibited within the Knights as are the spawn of pokephiles."_ Zoroark added, venom dripping from his voice. _"Go back to your clutch, pokemorph. You're not welcome here."_

A wave of disgust and distain swept through the Barracks, the voices of each Master and their partner Pokémon were raised high. Some supported Blaze's claim of pokephilia, but the vast majority went against him, defending their sister from the false claims. Many were angered so fiercely by his racist and outrageous assault that they took a battle stance and were ready to fight.

"THAT'S IT GREYSTACHE! IT'S TIME FOR A _DEATH BATTLE!_ " Drago screeched. A blast of green Dragon energy exploded from his open palm, racing through the air to hit Blaze. The Dragon Pulse quickly ground to a halt however, outlined in a blue hue, it had been caught by Spirit's Psychic. "WOMAN LET ME END HIM! HE KILLED THE JELLY BEANS WITH THE PICKLE!"

"Behave yourself Drago, we're not here to fight." Spirit replied, dispersing the elemental blast into shimmering green light. "You can kill him later, but right now we're here for Mew. Mother of Creation, why did you summon us?"

"Yes, where's your Left Hand?" Midnight asked, still brushing Houndoom's fur. "Shouldn't he be here too?"

"Red man in prison." Bruno answered, nodding his large, boulder like head. "Bruno get him?"

"Oh get with the times Bruno, Red escaped prison weeks ago." Toxicroak replied.

"WHAT?!" Blaze and Zoroark snarled, in perfect synchronisation. "WHY HAS THAT TRAITOR NOT BEEN RECAPTURED?! ESCAPE IS AN ACT OF TREASON!"

" _HE SHOULD BE EXECUTED AT ONCE!"_ Zoroark added.

" _Please be quiet…"_ Mew yawned, rubbing her large blue eyes. Silence fell upon the chamber, with each and every eye fixed upon the pink cat like Pokémon whom created all life within the realm of creation. _"Thank you. Blaze, Zoroark, shut up. No one wants to hear you whinge and complain, stop throwing your toys out of the pram because you're not getting your own way. As my Apprentice, Red is immune to all punishment. That's why I asked Midnight to release him and why you weren't allowed to execute him."_

Blaze opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it once again and bowed his head low submissively. "I… Apologise, Mother."

" _You're forgiven this time, Blaze. But remember that you are not irreplaceable, just because you have no First to train."_ Mew reminded, before giggling into her paws and resuming. _"And it seems you all need a reminder about Sylph, she is_ _not_ _a pokemorph or any such creature, she's just different to regular humans, that's all. She's one of the last of the Fae, a race slightly different to humans, more Fairy like. Becoming the Fairy Master just emphasised her natural Fairy aspects."_

Sylph nodded in agreement, confirming this to be true, as well as thanking Mew for the explanation. _"You are most welcome Sylph, heh heh heh heh heh. Why can't more of you be like her? She's such a good girl and so cute!"_

"Mew can you _please_ get to the point?" Terra asked as he leant upon his gun, chewing on the end of his cigar.

" _Fine!"_ She pouted. _"Why are you always so impatient? Red was being_ _very_ _irresponsible, he let someone very nasty get to him and tried to drink himself into an oblivion."_

"Sounds like fun," Balanche said, smirking. "let's join 'im! Who's got booze?!"

"CATCH BITCHES!" Drago exclaimed, hurling a bottle of red wine to Balanche, Thorn, Granite, Terra and Spirit, while saving one for himself. Begging the question, just where did he get them from? That indeed was a question that no one wanted the answer to.

" _WHOEVER CHUGS THEIRS FIRST WINS!"_ Salamance encouraged.

"FUCK YEAH!" Terra screamed, uncorking his bottle with his teeth and wrapping his lips around the neck. With the others doing something similar, Granite hesitantly took a sip. Before any of them could swallow more than a mouthful each of the bottles vanished in a flash of white light, taken from their grasp. "WHAT THE FUCK?! WHICH ONE OF YOU MOTHER FUCKERS TOOK MY BOOZE?!"

" _Watch your language Terra, there are ladies present."_ Mew lightly scolded. _"This is a meeting of Masters, not a Friday night at a bar you all_ _haven't_ _been banned from, no alcohol."_ Each of the Masters whose drink she took complained about her actions, requesting she return the bottles to them at once.

"How _**DARE**_ you interrupt me! Only _I_ interrupt me! GIMME MY WINE BACK…! Like just then. I NEED THE BOOZE TO GET THROUGH THURBENDAY!" Drago complained, once again hung upside down. "Avert yer eyes! They be coming from the east! THE MORELOCKS ARE COMING!"

" _Hide the rum!"_ Salamance added, laughing at the antics of his brother.

The pink legendary sighed, both frustrated and disappointed in Drago's behaviour. While she knew he could not be blamed for his behaviour, as it is part of his role as the Dragon Master, it made it no less difficult to deal with when she's trying to make a serious announcement. There was only one thing that could be done, to ensure he would not cause further trouble or prove to be a nuisance.

" _Spirit, could you_ _please_ _take Drago away and make him sane again, just a few hours should do."_

"With fucking pleasure" Spirit quickly replied, her telepathic voice like that of a naughty teenager promised the one thing every teenager desires above all else. In a flash of white light, she vanished, just as the wine did before her. But in her haste she had left Drago in place, spouting gibberish that he, of course, found entertaining.

"Three… Two… One… And…" Terra counted down, using his fingers.

Spirit once again reappeared within the chamber, blushing slightly, she apologised and grabbed onto Drago, before vanishing again. "BE GENTLE!" Drago screamed as he vanished alongside his lover. Making his friends within the ranks laugh amongst themselves.

Confused by the sudden disappearance reappearance and then disappearance again of not only one, but two Masters, Bruno asks Mew a question. "Why they go?"

The question brought a light blush to Mew's innocent face, she knew perfectly well what she had asked of Spirit, but thought she had phrased it in a way that would avoid the obvious and evade awkward questions. It seemed that she was wrong. _"Well Bruno, intimacy between those who have an Aura Connection synchronises their Auras together, and in Drago's case, it allows Spirit to stabilise his mind for a while. The more intimate the act and the longer it lasts, the longer he's sane for. Understand?"_

" _Ugggghh… Machamp head hurt."_ Bruno agreed with his four armed partner, they were still confused.

"Oh for fuck's sake" Blaze snarled. "Spirit's gone to suck Drago's cock so he makes sense for a few hours! Understand _that_?!" His disregard for subtly tickled the funny bone of Granite, Terra, Thorn, Balance and their partners just right, making them all burst out laughing and a couple of them fall to the ground, struggling to breathe. Conversely, Midnight and Sylph blushed deeply and covered their mouths, shocked by his bluntness.

"Pssst, Midnight. Are they _really_ doing that?" Sylph whispered, attempting to remain discrete.

" _Grow up for God's sake. They're adults, they're alone, of course they're fucking."_ Zoroark growled, sharpening his claws against the wall.

"Get on with your announcement already," Blaze commanded, his arms crossed and his posture closed. "I've got prisoners to entertain."

"That's enough!" Master Midnight of the Dark element snapped. Finally she rose to her feet, her kind smile gave way to rage, and drew one of her two bladeless hilts. A glorious golden blade burst into existence from the hilt, opaque, yet coloured, it resembled a blade forged from pure Aura. "I'm sick and tired of your cruelty, if you even think of torturing that poor boy for even a minute longer, I will show you _exactly_ why they call me Midnight the kind."

The outburst was so unexpected, so out of character for the patient woman, that it drew even Mew's attention and stole the words each of their minds. Midnight never drew her weapon first, she would always try to avoid battle, only raising her blade if there was no other choice. If she has been pushed to the point of drawing her weapon, then there must be more going on, than has been revealed to them.

Unfazed by the rare sight of her weapon, Blaze remained cool and calm, staring her down with eyes that do not befit his element of Fire. "This again sister? I thought you had realised the truth. So you need a little, _reminder._ "

Not a single word passed from anyone's lips, the air remained still. All eyes were fixed on one of three things, Masters Blaze, Midnight or the glowing golden blade in her hand.

"That is indeed a mighty fine weapon, _sister,_ " Blaze began. "but it hardly seems fit to be in your possession, you're a Warrior and that blade is the signature weapon of the Shadows. An extinct order. It belongs in a tomb, not in your hand… Whose grave did you defile to steal it? Whose eternal rest did you disturb in order to claim a weapon that should never have been held by your hand?"

Midnight said nothing, held her tongue. Sweat formed and fell down the back of her neck; she had not anticipated that Blaze would know what kind of blade she held. Or just where another like it could be found.

"What's the matter, Midnight? Why so quiet? Come now, tell everyone just where you got that weapon." He added, revelling in her distress.

"She stole it from no one." Mason spoke, stepping out from the shadows, his face covered by a black cloth. Pikachu sat upon his shoulder, his face pale and splattered with blood.

" _Red… he… he ain't human. That wasn't… Blaze I hope you weren't too attached to Ernie and Bernie, they ain't never goanna be right again."_ The Electric mouse whimpered, obviously traumatised. _"Mew, just so you know Red knows how to get out of the forest when he wants to. He came back this morning, and… 'found' Ernie and Bernie. They'll never be right again."_

"Shadow," Midnight said, ignoring Pikachu's pitiful whimpers. "it's OK, I can handle this… but thank you, my First." The lone Shadow bowed his head in respect and fell silent. As she requested. But maintained his sharp stare upon Blaze. "Blaze… I seem to recall _you_ are the only one here to _steal_ someone else's weapon from them and then toss it aside like garbage. You accuse me of being a thief, but out of the two of us, you're the only thief."

" _OK that's enough now."_ Mew stated, silencing the debate before it can truly begin. _"Midnight didn't raid anyone's tomb, her First, Shadow, found a broken blade during his trials to become a full Knight. Midnight studied the damaged weapon and used it to make her own set of weapons. I personally returned the weapon to its owner once Midnight had finished with it. Now drop it._ _All_ _of you."_

Upon the word of the Mother of Creation Master Midnight's blade vanished, becoming little more than a paper weight once more. "I'm sorry, Mother." She spoke, returning the hilt to her waist line. "I'm sorry… Brother."

A gruff nod came from Blaze, the closest he will give to a proper apology.

" _You're both forgiven, now let's move on from this ugly topic. Where was I? Oh yes, Red was being very irresponsible, for his safety and the safety of those around him I had to bring him home. I'll return him to this world once he has sobered up."_ Mew continued.

" _Does no one listen to the_ _blood_ _covered Pikachu here? Red's already come back! He murdered Ernie and Bernie in front of us! Shadow showed him where they were hiding! Red shoved Ernie's head up Bernie's ass!"_ Pikachu howled. _"WHY IS NO ONE LISTENING TO ME?!"_

" _Quite."_ A new voice whispered, sending a cold chill through Pikachu's very soul. _"No care. Quiet."_

"Mother," Sylph spoke. "why did you call the meeting now? Why didn't you wait for your Apprentice to be ready?" A stir of agreement went through the chamber, many of the Masters agreed with the Fairy's questions, asking similar ones of their own.

An opaque pink bubble was willed into existence, for Mew to lie upon and relax. _"Oh I need a nap… didn't I already tell you guys? Stupid Pinkie. Red's not allowed to hear what I have to say, this time, and neither are the other Masters. I didn't invite them for a reason."_

"Yeah, it's got nothing to do with the fact three of them haven't been finalised yet and most of them haven't been properly designed yet, or that sticking that many new characters in at once is a pain in the ass to read." Terra mumbled beneath his breath, bitter over his own design. The hand of Thorn was quick to slam against the back of his skull with a resounding crack. "AH! BRO WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Not cool bro, not cool." Thorn said, shaking his head.

" _Heh heh heh."_ Mew giggled into her paws, amused by the interactions between old friends. _"(Ahem) As I was saying, the others aren't invited because they didn't study enough when they became Masters, they lack the necessary knowledge to understand what I wish to discuss."_

"Ugh… big words make Bruno head hurt," The mountain of a man whined, scratching his head. "can Bruno smash Drago? Smash make Bruno feel better."

Mew giggled at his question, not unlike how a school girl would. Bruno had never been very intelligent, even before he joined the ranks of the Masters and it had always amused her how he would get so confused so easily. Once he took the throne of a Master his intelligence dropped even lower, in all honesty it's a miracle he can even dress himself these days. Fortunately the other Masters all knew this and made allowances for his shortcomings, even if they found them amusing.

Could Mew be accused of deliberately using words which Bruno cannot comprehend in order to make him confused…? Perhaps.

" _No Bruno you can't. If you smash Drago, he'll bite back much harder."_ She cooed. _"Bruno, there's no one else here because they don't know about the big bad Beast."_

Fear. Panic. Terror. Rage. Denial. These and similar emotions run amok in the ranks of the Masters at the mere mention of the Beast's name. Fearful chatter swept through the room, some Masters raised their weapons to fight, while others panicked and frantically searched for a safe haven far beyond the reach of their fear. Few stood up to face that which they fear, one such soul was Bruno, who stood to attention and raised his mighty hammer high.

"BRUNO SMASH BEAST! SMASH HIM GOOD!" He bellowed.

"THAT BASTARD _CAN'T_ HAVE RETURNED!" Balanche screamed, her eyes dilated in terror, trembling fiercely. "HE WAS DESTROYED TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, SO WAS HIS MASTER!"

"It's true! I was there, I saw the Devil fall! Beast was hiding like a wimp he wasn't in the battle! Eis was the big bady not Beast!" Sylph cried out, like her brethren, she too was terrified at the thought of the Fear Master. But unlike the others, she had seen the horrors of the Beast first hand, centuries ago. "We made him go bye bye ages ago! He can't be back it's not fair!"

Mew sighed deeply, allowing her Masters to voice their frustrations and fears. She had expected a reaction such as this, the name Beast has a long and bloody history attached to it, for those who have studied history properly it's truly a terrifying creature. And for those who have felt it's blade sink into their flesh… the fear is so great that the mere mention of his name is enough to void their bowls. Beast may not have a body of his own at this time, but in previous centuries his flesh was his own, his power was his own, and the river of blood in which he swam was entirely his own.

It took time for them to grow quiet, but when they did Mew once again spoke. _"No, I'm sorry Sylph but Beast was not destroyed. His rebirth was only postponed. Beast is just like his Master, eternal… I'm not surprised you were the one to figure out why I called this meeting Balanche, you were always very astute. Yes, I'm afraid Beast has returned, he once again walks the earth."_

Midnight's golden eyes trembled in their sockets, swimming in the fear that razes her resolve. Why would she keep this information from her Left Hand? The one she chose to be her Apprentice, the Knight who enforces her will upon the world and who surely shall end the war between the Knights and the Paladins.

"Mother, why haven't you told Redmud about this threat? Why haven't you send him to destroy Beast? If anyone can it must be him. Is this why you took him as your Apprentice? Because he has the power to destroy Beast, with training?"

Silence was the answer to Midnight's questions, deafening silence. No Master spoke a single word; they held their tongues, waiting for an answer from the Mother.

The lone Shadow's eyes saw that which the others did not, that Mew was in distress, unsure of how to answer. Her composure was rock solid revealing nothing at all, but to a Shadow such as Mason her mask was easily seen for what it was. A mask. Unlike most Knights Mason had not only met Mew before, but had conversed with her many times in recent years, he knew her better than most and also knew a closely guarded secret, which few in the world knew.

"He already knows." His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but in the silence and stillness of the stone chamber it was heard clearly by all. Gardevoir asked if it was true, if Red really was aware of Beast's return and they waited impatiently for Mew's reply.

" _It's true… Red is well aware of Beast's return. He's known for a very long time… how long have you known, Shadow?"_

" _Umm… well today's Tuesday so um… thirty seconds?"_ Pikachu responded, in place of his trainer. _"We guessed and got lucky. Well it explains why he's so determined to fight alone all the time, he's gotta be strong enough to face that butt-fucker alone."_

"Are we just goanna forget about this shit?!" Terra called out, clearly terrified. "That Red guy is your Left hand! Your shield! His power rivals _ours_ when he transforms! He took Neo on and _lived_! WHY HAVEN'T YOU SENT HIM TO DESTROY THAT DEMON YET?!"

Mew's baby blue eyes fell low, swollen with shame and pain. Terra's words were a verbal blade plunging into her fragile heart, she wanted to tell him, to tell them all the truth, but she knew she could not. Not yet… not until Red is ready to do what must be done. Silence will not satisfy them twice, she must answer, but what could she possibly say that would both satisfy them and keep her grand plan secret?

"HEY TERRA! Use the tiny peanut between your ears and _think_! I know it hurts bro, but you have to try. Red's been trying to kill Beast for years! He's just not strong enough to do it." Drago growled as he re-entered the chamber, a stern smile across his scaly face. Spirt walked beside him, also smiling with a blush across her cheeks.

"Well that was quick." Thorn said, chuckling beneath his full body suit.

"Just what the fuck are you implying?!" Drago joked, feigning anger.

"Hey we're not here to play around or gossip boys, we've got a job to do… but I just warmed him up, Thorn. He'll be sane for an hour or two." Spirit added, giggling slightly.

Drago snorted a laugh, trying hard to remain composed even as Terra screamed death threats at him. "Moving on! Red's been fighting the Beast for _she_ only knows how long, long before he became her Apprentice."

" _Wait a minute, how's that possible?"_ Slaking asked, scratching herself. _"I believe you, but I don't think anyone else does."_

The black and green eyes of the Dragon Master turned to Mew, he smirked at her confidently. He knew exactly how it was possible as he knew a great many things, but was unable to share his knowledge with his fellow Masters without first being told he could. He wouldn't want to spoil the grand plan after all…

"Should I tell them, or do you want to warp their minds?" He asked, laughing at himself slightly.

" _You know what's going on here?!"_ Gigalith asked, angered slightly.

" _Is Terra's ego bigger than his cock?"_ Salamance asked, finally speaking again.

"Yeah, by a fucking lot too." Balanche confirmed, stirring laughter from her brethren in arms.

"Hehehehehe," Drago laughed, sounding like a possessed wombat on drugs. "yeah I know what's going on you walking dildo! My tiny mind is linked with the Eternal Dragon, Rayquaza, I got _all_ his thoughts and knowledge in this peanut I call a brain… it's why I'm so fucking mad!"

" _It's not a peanut!"_ Gardevoir chastised.

" _Dry roasted flavour."_ Steelix added.

"That's true; Drago's insanity's a defensive mechanism against Psychics. I'm the most powerful Psychic human in the world and even I can't break through it to see what's in his mind." Spirit spoke telepathically, ignoring the comments regarding her boyfriend's brain.

This is indeed true, those who take the throne of the Dragon Master are forever bonded with Rayquaza, or his preferred name, the Eternal Dragon. As such, they are both blessed and cursed with his vast stores of knowledge, their council is invaluable in times of strife, but this knowledge is not without a cost. While this knowledge is invaluable to the Knights, it's _vital_ that it not fall into Paladin hands, a shield must protect the mind from outside interference… insanity is both the Dragon Master's protection and their curse.

Perhaps Mew went too far when she made this the protective mechanism, but its results cannot be denied. No one has ever broken through a Dragon's mind and learned of their secrets. Ever.

" _OK Drago, you can tell them,"_ Mew spoke, with a polite nod of her head. _"it's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of hearing you speak sanely."_

"Oh yes, because talking to your own foot is _such_ insanity, while letting an ex-Paladin become the Grass Master is perfectly normal." Drago sarcastically said, scratching the back of his head with his own tail.

"Leave Woodruff alone you big bully!" Sylph said, pouting rather cutely at her friend. "He made mistakes, but he's a one of us now!"

"How _**DARE**_ you interrupt me! Only _**I**_ interrupt me!" Drago growled.

"Th-that's a Sh-Sheogorath refer-reference, from th-the Elder Scr-Scrolls series." Granite replied, rather excited about the reference from his favourite game series.

"Skyrim addict." Balanche quipped, joined by Thorn. "Hey Drago, get on with the explanation already!"

"FUCK YOU!" Drago screamed, giving his oldest friends the finger and laughing himself into a stupor. It wasn't long before Terra joined his brother, laughing so hard his ribs start to hurt.

No one ever understood how friends could be so close, yet never say anything nice to one another. Terra, Drago, Granite, Thorn and Balanche had all been friends since Elementary school, while to begin with most of them disliked one another and regularly insulted each other, over time things changed and a friendship was formed. A friendship that has withstood the test of time, and held strong… but even after all these years nothing has changed. They still insult, make fun of and prank the Hell out of one another, but each and every one of them knows they'd go to Hell and back for each other. No questions asked.

"OK then… let me tell you all about our dear friend, Red… caution, this next part gets pretty graphic!" He added. Drago wove a tale to the Masters, he told them of Red and his vicious nature, he told them of Beast, he even told them the terrifying truth that Beast is bound to Red's heart and cannot escape and most of all, he told them that Red has been searching for a way to separate himself from Beast and destroy him for good. "And that is why the Black Fire's coming for us… that includes you Sealeous! Just 'cause you're Death, it doesn't mean you don't burn like the rest of us!"

"Wait wait wait!" Midnight asked, confused and frightened by the horrifying revelation. "You're saying that Beast was here, in this Barracks?! Why didn't we sense him?!"

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT INTERUPTING ME?! ONLY _**I**_ MAY INTERUPT ME!" Drago responded, his eyes flared luminous green. "Did you even listen? He's stuck in Red's heart, can't do shit until he possesses him. Obviously we can't feel his presence until he possesses him! THINK! It don't matter anyway, we're all dead in the water anyway… we can't beat that motherless son of a bitch twice, we got lucky last time. Fat chance of that happening again."

" _Who you callin' fat?"_ Gardevoir asked, glaring at him.

"Yo mama." He replied, before realising just what he had said. "… I'm dead aren't I?"

"Just wait until we get home." Spirit growled back, her eyes ablaze with rage. "We'll talk about it there."

" _OK that's enough, leave personal matters out of my meeting."_ Mew commanded, silencing her subjects in an instant, the way a feared, but respected, queen could. _"Thank you… but there's more I gotta tell you. It's important… umm… yeah, very important."_

" _You forgot what it is, didn't you?"_ Zoroark asked, annoyed. _"Dumb blonde."_

Many of the Masters agreed with Zoroark's statement, Mew may be a Goddess and worshipped as such by the Knights but even she has issues with memory and is a self-described "Dizzy blonde" often forgetting important details. While few would dare call her out on her memory lapses, Zoroark's bravery outweighs his survival instincts.

The baby blue eyes of Mew sharpened onto the Dark fox, turned from their soft and sweet shine to dark and unforgiving. Fear surged throughout the Barracks, the air became heavy and thick, every breath clawed at the throat, tearing at it. Masters of the Knight order backed away, trying to avoid her gaze and leaving Blaze and Zoroark to face Mew's wrath. Alone.

" _Do not disrespect Mother…"_ A strange voice whispered, sending chills through every soul within the chamber.

" _Oh fuck…"_ Pikachu whined, recognising the feeling of coldness well. He knew exactly whom had decided to make his presence known. _"I'll never get used to this…"_

Shadows from the four corners of the great chamber boldly crawled upon the ground, no longer hidden from the light; they feared nothing, no one, not even Mew's rage. They came together beneath her gaze, forming a grotesque mass of darkness. _"Mother sensitive… show respect."_

From the writhing mess of shadow across the white marble, arose a man. White hair fell from his head, long enough to cover his chest, concealing one of his piercing sky blue eyes. A black robe covered his body, it was no normal cloth though, it was like smoke made solid. They moved across his flesh the way wind passes across a solid mass, it fell upon the ground and then rose back up, dispersing just as smoke does. A crimson scarf hung from his neck, just hung, it did nothing like his robes. Perhaps it was a gift from someone special, perhaps it was from another time… one thing can be certain, this scarf is important to this strange visitor.

The stranger's eye passed across the room, taking in the faces before him, searching for one in particular. He bowed his head low to Mason, otherwise known as Shadow, whom returned the gesture of respect. Neither of them said a single word, for nothing needed to be said, to speak words without meaning would be a waste of energy and oxygen.

Before long the stranger's cold eye fixed upon Zoroark and Blaze, though he had done nothing his mere presence had them both trembling. _"Insult Mother, insult I. Want fight? I defeat you both easily."_

" _Dark? That you bro?"_ Houndoom asked, deciding to add his voice to the mixture. A nod of his head gave Houndoom his answer bringing a smile to his and Midnight's faces. Blaze and Zoroark feared few enough to be stopped in their tracks, but Dark… they feared him so fiercely that a mere threat was enough to make them kneel. _"Hey, do me a favour and give them horrifying nightmares for a week, thanks dog."_

Master Blaze raised a trembling hand, pointing at the new arrival. "Th-th-that th-thi-thing ha-has-has n-no p-p-plac-place here," Fear rattled throughout his every syllable, hiding nothing from anyone. Blaze's emotions were exposed, as was his weakness. "i-i-i-it-t-t sh-should lea-eave, n-now. So-someone, get it-t out o-of here."

" _That thing was born from Darkness itself! It defiles this holy ground with its mere existence!"_ Zoroark snarled, showing no fear. _"It should be destroyed at once! Along with all of its kind!"_

Dark's baby blue eye remained upon Masters Blaze and Zoroark, staring them down with a gaze so ice like it seemed to chill the very air itself. Neither of them dared speak another word for fear of angering this unholy abomination any further than they already have.

" _I ask again. Want fight? I go easy on you both, use only one hand."_ Dark grinned, revealing his razor-sharp fangs. _"You want I destroyed? Grow balls and do it selves. Don't stutter when speak, confident and kill I."_

"Dark! Hey buddy!" Drago called out, throwing his arm across his shoulder in a friendly fashion. "I thought you were in Born into a New World and Crossing the Barrier, why're you here? Does my evil twin pay better than JPR?"

Dark turned to his friend offering him a toothy grin and repaid his gesture with a matching one of his own. _"Writer abandon story, I here now. Writer want me here anyway, back to work now?"_

Drago gave a weary sigh, he had always hated being told to stop having fun and get back to work, was it too much to ask for the chance to have fun _and_ do his job? It'd been far too long since he had been unleashed upon the battlefield, Neo was just a warmup, he didn't even get to transform let alone have any _real_ fun. "Ugh… fine. Hey Blaze you manipulative son of a garden gnome! If you want this demon here dead then you're goanna have ta pull your dildo out yer ass, pull up your frilly stockings and actually fight him yourself. _We're_ not stupid enough to piss off a fucking demi-god who can give us the most horrific nightmares imaginable for the rest of our lives!"

"Garden gnome?" Asked Sylph, confused. "What's a garden gnome?"

"It's Drago, does it really matter?" Midnight replied. "Dark is one of us Blaze, whether you like it or not. How the Darkrai were first formed doesn't matter, the original ones who thinned our numbers are long since dead, Dark has done nothing to the Knights. Legendary Pokémon are loyal to whoever first defeats them in fair single combat, Shadow fought and bested him, so Dark now serves him. Shadow is loyal to the Knights so Darkrai is also loyal to the Knights. He's as much one of us as you and Zoroark. Show some respect."

For a brief moment anger broke across the Master of Fire's face, but vanished the moment Mason parted his lips. "Darkrai. Dark Void."

" _With pleasure, Master!"_ The legendary, disguised as a human, hissed. Holding a swirling black ball of Dark energy in his hand, while grinning like a Gengar. Ready to strike.

" _Children, behave yourselves. Drago leave Dark alone you don't have a lot of sanity left, use it properly."_ Mew answered, clapping her paws and ushering peace back to the meeting. Drago returned to his place and Darkrai lowered his attack, after his Master told him to obey Mew. _"Thank you children, you can play together later but now we have work to do and I'm running out of time, Red seems to have found a way out of the forest. And I need to get him back there before he kills someone. He's always in a bad mood when he's got a hangover."_

No sooner than she had finished her thought than the bloodcurdling screeches of the stationed guards crept into the chamber. "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! OH GOD SOMEONE STOP HIM! HE'S A FUCKING ANIM-AAAAGGGHHHH!"

The Electric mouse sighed deeply, slamming his own paw into his face, clearly aware of the culprit. _"It's too late… Red's already found some poor, innocent, defenceless victim. And by the sounds of it, he's ripping their spleen out."_

"Hmm… I'd say the kidneys," Thorn said. "they sell for more on the market"

"Umm… sh-shouldn't we b-be stopping him?" Granite asked.

"Nah, let him have his fun." Balanche said

Suddenly, the doors to the chamber exploded open, throwing a cloud of dust, woodchips and blood into the air. The ugly red head of a Knight rolled across the floor to stop at Dark's foot, torn from the body, as opposed to being cut off. The ghost of his fear forever branded upon his face. _"What lovely gift. I thank Red."_ Dark whispered, picking up and holding, the severed head in his hands. Blood dripping through his fingers.

The animalist snarl of Red Ketchum slowly crept into the room. "Good evening Master, I'm _so_ sorry I left home without permission… but you see, I've got a bitch of a hangover and I could _really_ use a pick me up. You know, something to help ease the pain a little…" He snarled, blood dripping from every inch of his body. Flesh and blood clung to his fangs, staining them as crimson as his glowing eyes, which were fixed upon Blaze and Zoroark. "skinning a fox and fisting his bitch to Hell should do the trick."

All traces of fear vanished from Masters Blaze and Zoroark, replaced by contempt, rage and an everlasting hatred. Disgust crept upon their faces as Red's tongue licked away at the blood dripping from his lips. "Trying out for Trueblood? The vampire look doesn't suit you, Monster. Why not try out for My Little Pony? That seems more your style."

"Master, mind removing the limiters for my power? I don't wanna have ta transform to kill them, I wanna remember the bloodbath. Every last second of it." Red snarled, drunk on blood. "Which one of ya wants ta die first?"

" _RED! Behave yourself or I'll send you back home again and this time I'll make sure you can't get out until you're so old you can't take a poop without eating fifty prunes first!"_ Mew barked, surprising most. _"Your limiters are in place for a reason Red, you know as well as what I do what happens without them!"_

"Please…" Red asked, as cutely and innocently as he could. "just for five minutes, that's all I need to skull fuck these fuckers."

" _I SAID NO!"_ She shouted, her eyes glowing. _"Can't I trust you to behave for five minutes?!"_

" _Mew this is Tarzan you're talking to, you can't trust him to go five minutes without killing something."_ Pikachu added, smirking at his friend. _"You_ _really_ _need to learn what a boner's for bro, I'm sure Serena would be more than happy to teach you."_

Before the Monster that is Red could respond, white light enveloped him and he vanished. Teleported to who knows where by Spirit, who had grown tired of his hangover induced bad mood. "Pikachu, have you forgotten that its forbidden for a Master and Apprentice to fuck? It's a very dark taboo, does that mean nothing to you?"

" _Absolutely not. Besides they ain't related, so why do you give a fuck?"_ He replied.

" _OK THAT'S ENOUGH!"_ Mew cried out, throwing her paws sporadically. _"I'm sick and tired of being interrupted! I'm saying this now, and then I'm going to take a nap! The next one to interrupt me is going to pay, understand?! GOOD! NOW SHUT UP AND LISTEN! Red is an evil little_ _shit_ _, but he's_ _ **MY**_ _evil little shit to punish appropriately! From now on none of you are to punish him in any way! He has a mission to fulfil and to do that he cannot be constantly captured and chained up! Yes he's going to kill people, yes they're going to be on both our side and the Paladins, and yes he has my permission to do whatever the fuck he wants! Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, Red knows what he must do, it's why I took him as my Left Hand! And he will do it no matter the cost._ _No one_ _is to interfere! Now goodbye and goodnight!"_ In a flash of angry pink light, she vanished. Leaving no trace of herself behind, beyond the shocked and frightened faces of the Knight Masters.

"Well that wasn't expected…" Terra said, smoking his cigar. His eye turned to the severed head, held by Dark. "so we've basically gotta let this shithead kill our Knights, and give him a pat of the back for it? 'Cause he's got a mission…? Sounds good to me, I say we do what she says, sit back and enjoy the show."

" _No. Not sit back, must be ready."_ Dark hissed, finally lifting his gaze from the severed head. _"Not ready, be weak. Cannot be weak, be weak, die. All die."_

The Fairy Master, Sylph, was less than pleased by the sight of the severed head, but she held her tongue. For fear of provoking Darkrai's bloodlust even further. She knew he was stronger than her without her partner at her side, so a fight was best avoided, for everyone's sake. "We're not weak! Why are you so mean all the time?! Why can't you be nice to us?!" She pouted rather cutely, making the Nightmare Pokémon grin again. Sending shivers up her spine.

" _Nice? Nice weak. Nice get killed."_ He replied coldly, not caring for her feelings at all. _"War coming. Fear Beast? Beast powerful, able steal power and kill all."_

"But he's not unbeatable!" Spirit quickly spoke, unthinking. "we've beaten him once, we can do it again!"

" _Beat him? No. Killed when mother still pregnant with him, did not defeat, postponed rebirth. Beast cannot stopped."_ Darkrai said. Purple flames ignited across his hands, burning the severed head in his grasp, but causing him no pain. _"Beast destroy all. Beast unstoppable. Beast not greatest threat."_

"Woah woah woah! Time out!" Thorn called, holding his hands together to form a T. "Did you just say that Beast _isn't_ the greatest threat, or can't you speak Kantonian properly or some shit?"

Dark's grin became a snarl, he was angry, but not as angry as his Master and brother. _"You didn't have to call attention to his speech impediment asshole! He can't fucking help it!"_ Pikachu growled, electricity crackling from his cheeks. _"Yeah he fucking said Beast ain't the worst thing to happen to us! It's obvious what is…! Hey Dark, what is it?"_

Dark sighed, tonight was truly testing his patience as well as his loyalty to his Master, if he were a free man he would've attacked long ago. But his Master requested him to hold himself back, unless he gave the word, and as a legendary he must obey his Master at any cost. _"Master, I tell them?"_

The answer to Pikachu's question was known only to a handful of souls who swore to keep it secret, for fear of what would happen if it became known to the Masters. Mason was the first to hear of this closely guarded secret, it had been told to him by Mew when he first met her. He told only Dark, because the need for him to know was made, not because he wanted to. But war is on the horizon, secrets of all kinds will be exposed, it won't be long until the world learns of Aura and Darkness if it does not already know after Lumiose.

If the Knights are to have any chance of victory, they will need every advantage on their side… perhaps the time for this secret to be exposed, has finally come.

" _Have you been holding out on me?"_ Pikachu asked, giving his brother a death glare. _"You have haven't you?! YOU'VE BEEN HIDING THE KETCHUP FROM ME AGAIN!"_

"No… Darkrai, show them." Mason whispered, his eyes fallen shut.

Ashes fell from the Dark type's hands, they were once a head, but now they are nothing. Scattered across the floor, all may see them for what they are. Much like the secret Dark has been instructed to reveal. _"I show, Master."_

Throwing his head back, a piercing blue light emerged from his one revealed eye. Enveloping the chamber in its glow, a vision emerged, a vision that walked amongst the Masters as if it were one of them. _"Watch, will happen. Phantom change past, this will happen… after we vanish."_

* * *

Lumiose City was dead. Destroyed by the battle between the Aura Knights and the Paladins of Fear. Ice encased much of the rubble, residue from a terrible, yet glorious, battle between a warrior and a tyrant. Prism Tower once stood 1000 feet high, now she lay upon the ground, crushing countless.

Yet the battle was not yet done.

From beneath the twisted metal emerged a single warrior, a warrior of unparalleled ferocity, a warrior who simply refused to die. He had only one arm and was blinded in battle, yet he walked confidently and unaffected by the pain he felt. Shunts of steel protruded from his torso, no doubt piercing his heart and lungs, yet he breathed without issue. It was as though he were taking a stroll through the park and not marching through a river of blood and death.

Hair as black as the night sky fell from his head, draped across his back, yet rose like a flame. A body built like a machamp, only his legs were covered by armor. Cracked and shattered steel, it offered no protection, but still it was there. Teeth made to grip and rip filled his mouth, they were canines, but dull. Perfect for hooking flesh but not cutting it. Crimson fire burned from his left shoulder where his arm should be, shrouded by Aura as black as Darkness itself. This power formed a ghost like limb, an arm to serve as a replacement, it was completely black yet gave off a crimson glow. Irises of blood red, surrounded by black eyeballs, he could once again see. Ruby red double helixes appeared upon his exposed torso, one remaining arm and neck, they faded in and out of sight continuously. Never lingering for more than a few seconds.

Evil burned within these eyes. Rage came off him like heat from a flame, it could not be denied or ignored, even the densest of individuals couldn't escape its power. Hatred reverberated throughout the bones of the earth with every step he took; the surface of the concrete could not withstand the strain, its surface split and cracked beneath his feet.

The power that surged throughout this man was far greater than anything that had ever set foot within Lumiose. It was greater than a Knight, greater than a Paladin, greater than a Knight Master or even a Fear Master… it was undeniably the most powerful force that had ever set foot in this once beautiful city. Perhaps it was even the greatest power ever wielded by a mortal being.

This power had a name, a name given to him by his father. He was named Redmud, a name which meant "A wise or mighty defender" and he about to live up to that name.

" **Hey Neo, put down that appetiser!** " He snarled, ripping a shunt of steel from his chest. A sick grin across his twisted face. " **It's time for the main course!** "

* * *

The vision quickly faded and reality returned to the Heart of The Barracks. It had lasted less than a minute, yet the impact it had upon the ignorant was deathly apparent. The Masters were stunned into silence, many of their jaws hung open, while others trembled. Terra's cigar fell from his lips and was left to smoulder upon the ground, it was the furthest thing from his fearful mind.

Mason held his head low and his eyes shut, he had kept the burden of this knowledge to himself for a very long time and now it was out in the open, it felt like he had betrayed a trust. "Forgive me, brother." He thought.

With the vision faded, Dakari lifted his head back to position and passed his field of vision across the stunned Masters. Their reaction was anticipated, expected, it's not every day one comes across the most powerful force that walks the earth. Especially considering the fact that said force was at their complete mercy just three weeks ago.

" _That Red. What really look like. Mother keep power locked away, it not harm no more. He loyal Mother, power contained inside. He not loyal forever… Phantom see him betray us, lose war, him rewrite history soon. When does, Red power unleashed."_ Darkari whispered, no fear in his voice.

Not another word was spoken, not even a whisper, for there was no need for words. Each and every one of them knew what this meant, that they would one day fail in their sacred duty… there was a traitor in their midst and they had allowed him to not only live, but to walk away. He had done nothing yet, but it was only a matter of time until he embraced the evil within his heart and turned on them all.

Red is perhaps the single greatest threat the Knights shall ever face, greater than even the Eternal Master of Darkness himself. The only thing that even comes close to the risk he poses, is the Beast himself.

Maybe luck will be with the Knights and the two shall destroy each other, it may well be their only chance of survival. For even if all the Masters came together to fight him at once, he would defeat them all. With that kind of power at his fingertips there is nothing any of them can do… for now Red serves the Knights, but how long will that last? How long until he gives into his evil nature and goes rogue?

* * *

 **PRANK TIME! From now until the next line this story is under our control! MAD's IRL friends are now in control! This part was written by PrettyPinkPrincess354 and my grammar skills are shit so don't expect it to be like Dragon's writing. I did try to copy him though so maybe it's ok.**

Terra, Granite, Balanche, Spirit, Thorn and good old Drago himself randomly appeared in a large room. Drago was duck taped to a chair and looked really pissed with his friends and girlfriend. Terra's real name was Mr Awesome, Granite was Stoner, Balance is the one and only Hazzer, Spirit is me of course Princess, Thorn you can call Umpalumpa and Drago is well Dragon.

"There's no fucking way any of you are going to get away with this. You've ruined my last chapter. Real me's goanna go apeshit when he sees what you've done!" Dragon said. He struggled against the tape, he was trying to break free. "Vengeance will be the worst it has ever been!"

Mr Awesome looked at the reader and grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my revenge. This fucker molested Mr Bear for a prank and got me kicked out of my home with the shit he did. Now I am going to get revenge"

"Actually it was Hazzer's idea to do the sexy dance in the window Dragon just wanted to skull fuck the bear on camera" Umpalumpa said.

"You're too fucking old for a teddy bear you inbred fuck!" Dragon screamed. "And your parents kicked you out because you got kicked out of university don't blame us for that!"

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!" Mr Awesome screamed. "LEAST I AIN'T A NAZI FUCK!"

"RACIST FUCK!" Dragon screamed back. "I'M ONLY PART GERMAN! ENJOY WHAT TIME YOU HAVE LEFT CAUSE I'M GONNA WASTE THAT SMUG ASS!"

Hazzer and Umpalumpa grinned at each other. "£50 says Dragon gets the first punch" Hazzer said.

"Bet's on bitch" Umpalumpa replied.

Princess rolled her eyes at her friends behaviour. "Behave now boys. We're here to punish Dragon for his crimes. Sorry baby but Mr Awesome and I have a deal, he doesn't trash my flat and I help him get payback on you"

"TRAITOROUS BITCH!" Dragon screamed, throwing his head back and kicking his legs out. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS I FUCKING SWEAR IT!"

Hazzer held up a reel of duct tape and pulled out a length. "Let's shut up him, and shave his eyebrows again!"

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO! NOT MY EYEBROWS! NOT AGAIN!" Dragon screamed, he thrashed much harder. "Why use the duct tape?! Princess is the one making me talk now not real me! Hey I've got an idea, why don't you stick your hand up my arse and I'll move my lips every time you squeeze my colon?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hazzer, Mr Awesome, Umpalumpa and Princess laughed together. Only Stoner was too scared of Dragon's anger to join in.

"I fucking knew he was a kinky fucker!" Hazzer laughed. "I bet Princess fists your ass all the fucking time!"

"THE HELL SHE DOES!" Dragon screamed. "I'M THE ONE FISTING HER FUCKING ASS! AND I'M GONNA FUCK YOU ALL UP WHEN REAL ME FINDS OUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

"I wouldn't ever do something so vulgar to my master" Princess smiled, she blushed a little. "I'm _his_ sex slave and it's my place to do he commands"

"DON'T TELL THEM THAT!" Dragon screamed. "WHAT PART OF PRIVATE DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WOMAN?! OUR SEX LIFE IS NO ONE'S BUISNESS BUT OURS!"

The group all laughed at Dragon's torment, even Stoner did quietly. "I love it when you're embarrassed" Princess teased. "Why're you so embarrassed by our sex life? I don't get it. It's not like you don't satisfy me or jizz after 3 seconds so why get embarrassed?"

"SHUT UP!" Dragon screamed. "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE SHUT UP!"

"So we goanna embarrass the shit out of him or what?" Hazzer asked. "I've been looking forward to this for ages!"

"Wait what'cha mean?!" Dragon asked. "Princess is just making you talk same as me!"

"Not exactly" Stoner whimpered. "We… umm… we wrote this between us… when you were at work"

Dragon stared at his friends with anger in his eyes. "You what? YOU MEAN YOU'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS SHIT OUT?! YOU TRAITORUS FUCKERS!"

"No shit we've been planning bro! How else we supposed ta do it?" Mr Awesome asked. "You have fucked us all over and now it's time ta pay the price bro"

"What'd I do to you lot?! I fucked Awesome over I get that, but what'd I do to you lot?!" Dragon asked.

Umpalumpa, Stoner and Hazzer all shrugged their shoulders. "We don't need a reason to prank you Dragon, it's fun!" Hazzer said.

Princess glared at Dragon and crossed her arms. He knew what he had done to make her angry.

"This is because I said your dad was a bloodsucking gnat (Mosquito) isn't it?" Dragon said. "I said I was sorry! But he is!"

"Partly. But it's mostly cause you PISSED IN THE POOL!" Princess replied.

"Woman everyone pisses in the pool! I'm only human!" Dragon answered while he struggled against the tape.

"Yeah while they're swimming in it! You stood at the edge and pissed straight into it! Daddy was very upset and so am I!" Princess shouted.

"Wait a minute, the fuck are you talking about?" Mr Awesome asked. "Dragon can't swim why the fuck is he at a pool?"

"He can swim now he learned. And when I took him to meet my family he took a piss in daddy's pool! He wasn't even swimming in it! He just pissed straight into it and complained when I pushed him in!" Princess said.

"I needed ta piss and the toilet was being used! It was the middle of the night! I wasn't thinking properly! I said I was sorry!" Dragon wailed. "Come on stop this shit! Don't say more! I'll give you cookie dough ice cream!"

"Cookie dough?!" Princess squealed. "I love cookie dough, but no! Sorry baby but you gotta pay the price. I warned you not to screw with his bear but you didn't listen"

"Wait a minute, does this have anything to do with the tattoos?" Dragon asked. "I'm sorry but I lost a bet! I had to get them done!"

"You fucking liar!" Hazzer said. "We only made you get ' **MY ASS STINKS!** ' and you fucking wanted that one anyway! The ' **NEVER SURRENDER** ' thing is all on you Dragon, don't blame us for it!"

"No the never surrender one's ok I like that one and he had it before he asked me out, it's the my ass stinks one that I told him not to get. It's stupid!" Princess said.

"WOMAN IT'S HILARIOUS! But you can't do shit about it now it's done!" Dragon said.

Mr Awesome held up a cheese grater and an evil smile. "How much ya wanna bet?"

"Touch me and die a slow and painful death" Dragon growled.

"Hey Princess I gotta know why do you make him call you Woman? Seems weird to me" Umpalumpa asked.

Princess blushed slightly. "I love it when he does that, it's so strong and commanding. But I like it better when he calls me his bitch"

"Don't do the blushing shit! You never fucking blush! Even when your shitfaced you never blush!" Dragon screamed. "FOR FUCK'S SAKE SOMEONE EITHER GET ME OUT OF HERE OR GET THIS SHIT OVER WITH ALREADY!"

Stoner looked sorry and a little bit scared. "I'm sorry Dragon. Mr Awesome can we let him go now? Please?"

"HELL NO!" Mr Awesome barked. "Bitch ain't suffered enough!"

"Sorry baby but Mr Awesome has spoken" Princess said. "I'll make it quick for ya baby… This stupid fucking prank war is OVER! You hear me?! OVER! Six adults should not be pranking the shit out of each other! This is why we never have any free time, you guys are always plotting and planning payback!"

"I can't let these fuckers get away with their shit!" Dragon protested. "I gotta get payback!"

"Enough is enough Dragon! I'm serious! You've gotta stop this shit NOW!" Princess said. "I'm sick and tired of this shit! We can't even have a morning to ourselves without these idiots barging in on us!"

"That's not true!" Stoner said. He quickly recoiled and turned red.

"Stoner's finally grown a pair!" Hazzer said. She and Umpalumpa wrapped an arm over his shoulders. "We only come by for breakfast and if you two are fucking then you should just lock the door. We don't wanna see what BDSM crap you two are doing!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Dragon wailed. "WWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! WHY GOD WHY?! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!"

"Be quiet" Mr Awesome said. "What'd ya mean the prank wars over?! I didn't agree to that!"

"Don't tell Dragon to be quiet! Do it again and I'll make you _sing_!" Princess warned. "Yeah the stupid pranks are over. We've got new responsibilities to take care of and we can't be wasting time with crap" Princess put her hands on her belly and smiled at Dragon.

"The fuck are you saying?!" Dragon asked. His eyes looked like they'd pop out of his head at any moment.

"What the fuck do ya think she's saying?" Umpalumpa said. "I don't remember this shit in planning"

"Nah this definitely wasn't planned, I'd remember something like this!" Mr Awesome said.

"Three guesses what I'm going to say baby… I'm pregnant" Princess said.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dragon wailed. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME YOUR PREGNANT THROUGH A FUCKING PRANK?! WOMAN THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK! EVERYONE WHO READS THIS IS GONNA KNOW BEFORE REAL ME DOES! HE'S GONNA BE SO FUCKING ANGRY!"

Hazzer, Stoner, Umpalumpa and Mr Awesome all look at each other nervously. "I'm not goin round theirs for a few days. Give Dragon time ta calm down and stop lovin on Princess and get the baby talk crap out of his system" Mr Awesome said.

"Come on this is Dragon the guy goes all lovey dovey over his dog we all fucking know he's never gonna stop now he's gonna be a dad" Umpalumpa said.

"Papa. Dragon's gonna be a papa. He doesn't wanna be a daddy because when he's a grampa, he can have them call him Pops" Princess said. The others laughed a bit at that.

"LOVEY DOVEY?! REAL ME'S GONNA KILL YOU ALL! Except Princess. He loves her too much to ever lay a finger on her!" Dragon said. Princess glared at him sharply. "Unless she wants him to. But fucking doesn't count… HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!"

"Don't you know?" Stoner asked.

"I think he needs a biology lesson!" Hazzer said.

"I KNOW _HOW_ IT HAPPENED!" Dragon spat. "I WANNA KNOW _WHY_!"

"Well we only use the pill baby so it was bound to happen sooner or later…" Princess began.

Dragon stared at her in horror. "No. No baby please don't! Don't say it!"

"Your allergic to latex so you can't use condoms, your cock turns bright red and swells up!" Princess finished. She and the others all laughed hard at Dragon's humiliation. "I still remember what happened when we were teenagers in school baby"

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dragon screamed again. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NOT THAT!"

"Fuck that was a long time ago" Mr Awesome said. "Wasn't it the leavers prom? None of us had dates. Hazzer was trying to rape Stoner… And Princess raped Dragon"

"It wasn't rape!" Princess said. "We were both 16 and legal. Just because he was drugged doesn't mean it was rape. I molested him.

"Actually we worked out the dates and Dragon was only 15 when you raped him, his birthday was a week AFTER that not before" Umpalumpa said. "You know us we don't have lives and Stoner found pictures on his old phone. So legally it was statutory rape"

"HA!" Dragon said. Pleased. "I've been saying for months that it was rape and now I've got proof! Hazzer drugged me and you took unfair advantage! HA!"

"I was trying to drug Stoner! The dealer said it was roofies, fuck knows what it really was" Hazzer said. "If Stoner drank the booze it wouldn't have happened"

"How the fuck don't you remember _any_ of this shit bro?" Mr Awesome asked.

"I had Swine Flu! I don't remember shit that happened anything back then! Besides puking and having _fucked up_ nightmares" Dragon said. "Is that it? We done? My girlfriend raped me when we were teenagers then we lost contact and met up again a year ago. She made me wear a condom and my cock swelled up! Now she's up the duff cause of it! HAVE I SUFFERED ENOUGH YET?!"

"Not quite" Stoner said. He handed Mr Awesome a phone. "I don't wanna do it…"

"You mothers cunts. You wouldn't _dare!_ " Dragon growled. "I was a different guy back then! I was in a _very_ bad place back then! I saw a chance to get away from it all for a little while, I was weak! Don't say it!"

"Hey Princess did ya know your boyfriend tried to conn a desperate bitch last year?" Mr Awesome said. "He catfished her online!"

"Yeah I know, Dragon told me. But he was different back then, he was fighting clinical depression and even came close to suicide. He wouldn't do anything like that now" Princess said. "He's sorry he did it aren't you baby?"

"Absolutely _NOT_. Bitch was trying ta conn me too! And if I hadn't of done that then Awesome wouldn't have come over and dragged my ass out to the pub and I wouldn't have gotten shit faced, puked all over myself and made an ass out of myself and met you again. I don't regret it at all!" Dragon screamed. "Bitch was reading this before don't know if she still does or not. Don't give a fuck really. YOU HEAR ME BITCH?! I WAS CATFISHING YOU!... Why make me say this? It's in the past. Dead and buried"

"Because I want to tell her that I'm sorry on your behalf. You shouldn't have done something like that to her, she was obviously desperate and you preyed on that" Princess said. "That's not cool baby, even if you were fucked up"

"Hey I got his old phone here and I salvaged the Whatsapp messages… Looks like he was trying to be nice at first at least. Bitch was working him though, it's obvious" Mr Awesome said.

"OBVIOUSLY!" Dragon screamed. "Why'd you think I tried to do the same?! I saw what the bitch was doing! When I realised I couldn't get shit from her I acted like an even bigger psycho and dumped her flat ass. Judge me if you want, but I know you've all done shit just as bad! NOW CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON?! I'M STILL IN SHOCK OVER THE FACT YOU TOLD ME YOUR UP THE DUFF THROUGH A PRANK!"

"Happy now Mr Awesome?" Princess asked. "Has he suffered enough?"

"I wouldn't provoke him anymore" Stoner added.

"He's gonna go apeshit bro" Umpalumpa said.

"Well… Yeah ok he's had enough. Put him out of his misery" Mr Awesome said.

"Hmmm… I guess I can let you off the hook for what you did to Daddy's pool" Princess said. "Baby, I'm fucking with your head. I'm not pregnant"

"OH THANK MERCIFUL FUCK!" Dragon cried out. "You gave me a fucking heart attack, fuck know what you did to real me!"

"And baby there's something else. Stop paying rent on that shitty flat, we live together baby and we have done for months. You can say it, I'm not gonna dump you or kick you out… I love you and I'm sorry for scaring you. I was just scared of moving too fast, but I can't go back to being on my own again. You're not allowed to leave"

"Now you're just taking the piss out of him. He always says shit like that" Hazzer said.

"SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!" Dragon shouted. "THANK MERCIFUL FUCK! You've no idea how scared I've been that you'd kick me out!"

"How'm I supposed to kick you out? Most of our finances are intertwined now, the only thing that's really not is the rent. Oh by the way we're moving, we're getting a bigger place" Princess said. She hugged her boyfriend and nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder. "And we're saving up to get you some hearing aids that actually work, you can't keep going the way you are. It's not fair"

"Awww" Stoner said.

"That's cute" Umpalumpa added.

"UGH! DISGUSTING!" Hazzer said and Mr Awesome agreed. "Go be lovey dovey somewhere else we don't wanna see that shit!"

"THEN FUCK OFF!" Dragon said. "Wait a minute, you pranked me by making me think you're pregnant… You evil bitch"

"You love it when I'm evil and you know it!" Princess said, giving him a loving kiss. "You always say being evil is sexy!"

"When did I say it wasn't and I didn't?! Real me's gonna rape you while you sleep!" Dragon said boldly. "AH! WHY DID YOU MAKE ME SAY _THAT_?! People will think I'm a rapist now!"

"It's only roleplay baby I could make you stop if I wanted to, but I _LOVE_ it when you force me and you know I do. Who gives a fuck what other people think? I know you'd never hurt me or do something I didn't want you to… Rape my ass Daddy. Please, I'll be a good girl" Princess purred. "But I've been so naughty here… I need to be disciplined"

"TMI! TMI! TMI!" Umpalumpa cried out. "We don't wanna hear that shit. Really don't"

"Speak for yourselves I wanna hear every filthy detail!" Hazzer said.

"HELL NO! THAT SHIT'S PRIVATE!" Dragon growled. "CAN WE _PLEASE_ END THIS PAIN ALREADY?! YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU WANTED JUST END IT ALREADY!"

"Not quite" Princess said. "We want new designs in the new one"

"Yeah we look like shit here" Umpalumpa said.

"FUCK NO! I look sexy as fuck in this!" Hazzer said.

"UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! TELL REAL ME WHO WANTS NEW DESIGNS AND I'LL DO IT! NOW STOP KILLING MY CHAPTER!" Dragon said.

"You know he's never gonna trust you to proofread again right?" Stoner asked Princess.

"Eh, I'll find a way to prank him again. And baby if you delete this part or change anything without my permission then payback will be SO MUCH WORSE! Don't do it" Princess said. "Can someone do me a favour and tell Dragon we've done this? Text him on here or tell him in a review, anything, I don't give a fuck just so long as he knows we've fucked his chapter in the arse. Ok back to Dragon's chapter now!"

* * *

"M-Master please! Spare me!" Eis pleaded. "Forgive me! I beg yo-" The sensation of a blade passing through his flesh and out from his chest silenced the Fear Master, who fell to his knees, in more pain than he believed possible. Gasping for every breath he took.

Fire as black as the Void itself has formed a humanoid shape, bearing no distinguishing features or markings, it resembled a living shadow. A mask of obsidian covers what could be called this creature's face, bearing a movable mouth, contorted into a snarl. A blood red glow emanated from two holes at eye level, perhaps these are what this being uses to see, perhaps not. It matters not though.

" _ **SILENCE WORM!"**_ Beast roared, twisting his blade mercilessly. _**"How dare you speak to The Eternal Master of Darkness! You are not worthy to exist in his presence!"**_

" **Beast. Enough."**

The voice of The Eternal Master was low, barely above a whisper, yet it carried upon it's back solid steel. It was not a request and the Beast knew this. Without hesitation he pulled his sword free and replaced it with his heel at the back of Eis' skull. Not allowing him to look upon the god like being, that every Paladin of Fear worshiped and feared.

A black crystal, the size of an upturned car, was what the two Fear Masters where in the presence of. The Dark Crystal. A focus in which the chosen Fear Masters may hear the word of their lord and master. He who is bound to Hell, yet is neither living or dead. The Eternal Master of Darkness himself.

A colossal set of glowing crimson eyes burned within the confines of the crystal, set upon Eis as he trembled in paralytic terror. **"You defied me, Eis."** Neither Eis nor Beast spoke, both remained silent, waiting for their master to finish. **"You failed to defeat the Boy. The task I gave you now falls to Beast, yet you interfered. Speak."**

" _ **Answer!"**_ Beast added, he lifted his foot from Eis' head. _**"Why did you interfere?!"**_

"I… M-Master… I…" Eis whimpered, too afraid to lift his head. "I beg your mercy. I saw an opportunity to hurt the Boy, to weaken his resolve… I… I just…"

" _ **YOU MADE HIM STRONGER!"**_ Beast bellowed, enraged by Eis' weakness. Eis fell low to the floor, trembling so fiercely he could be mistaken for a mere child, scolded by an abusive parent.

"Forgive me!" Eis pleaded, wailing in terror. "He was weak in that prison cell! Delusional! He believes it was you brother, not me! He's more scared of you than ever! Have mercy on me, I beg you both! Please Master, don't assimilate me!"

" **SILENCE!"** The Master bellowed, his voice sending powerful winds through the crystal. The master of Ice was silenced in an instant, he dared not even breathe too loudly.

" _ **Master, permission to speak?"**_ The eternal one said nothing, he remained silent. For one such as Beast, who knew the Master spoke only when it was necessary, the silence was welcome. It was as close to permission as he would ever get. _**"Thank you, my Master."**_ He concluded, bowing low.

" _ **The damage Eis has done is great, Master. The boy had a vision of me possessing his flesh, taunting him, maiming his body and threatening his sister. He's stupid enough to believe I would waste my power on such trivialities, and has grown stronger from the rage,"**_ Beast raised his head, looking his master in the eye and continued. _**"he's more determined than ever to destroy me. And to slay you, Master, once and for all. The Boy is embracing the evil within his heart, and growing stronger by the day… if this keeps up, it will take a Fear Master to best him in battle."**_

" **Enough."** The Eternal Master spoke and Beast responded without hesitation. He dropped to one knee with his head bowed low. Waiting for the pain that would surely come. **"Do not fear, my servant. Rise and look me in the eye."**

Beast did as commanded, his glowing red eyes meeting those within the crystal. _**"Master?"**_

" **The situation is not lost. Difficult yes. Impossible? No. Plans must be changed…"** The Eternal Master of Darkness fell silent, his eyes held fast, but saw little. His mind had wandered.

Eis had invaded Red's mind while he was held captive, twisted his thoughts and manipulated his senses. Red believed what he saw and felt was real, but it was not. Whether or not it actually happened is irrelevant, the damage it caused is what the Eternal Master was concerned with. Red was certainly afraid of Beast before, but now he will be terrified of any heart pain. At the slightest hint of a twitch, he will run and hide, lock himself away within the Cave of Souls until the pain has passed. Making the destruction of a Prime Target all but impossible… but there is still a way to reach target M.

" **Beast. How soon until you can possess the Boy?"** He asked, his eyes once again sharp and focused.

" _ **Not long, my Master… my power has almost fully regenerated, all I wait for is the opportunity to strike a Prime Target."**_

" **Do not wait. Strike as soon as your powers have fully recovered, let him feel your power for himself. There is now only one Prime Target. M"**

" _ **Master?"**_ Beast question, his mask visible confused. _**"I do not understand, you wish me to simply possess him? What will that accomplish?"**_

" **A great deal, my servant. A great deal. You have only one target now, Mew. She must be destroyed at any cost, the Boy's loved ones are of no concern now, you may do with them what you wish."**

" _ **As you wish, my Master."**_ Beast growled, his head once again bowed low.

"M-Master?" Eis whimpered, hesitantly lifting his face from the ground. "H-how is B-Beast to reach her? B-beings of Darkness cannot reach the S-Silver Forest, let alone enter it… a-and the B-Boy will jus-jus-ju-just hide before he gets the chance, you sa-said so yourself."

" _ **SILENCE WORM!"**_ Beast roared. He slammed his foot upon Eis' back, earning a silent howl of agony from the master of Ice. _**"You**_ _ **do not**_ _ **speak to the Master!"**_

" **A valid question,"** The Master spoke. **"Beast, your orders?"**

The being of Black Fire relinquished his footing, allowing Eis to breathe once again, and turned to his Master's conduit. _**"I am to possess the Boy immediately, to do whatever I please while in possession of his flesh, but I am to let him defeat me. I am to let him overpower me, but make it seem like he is simply stronger than I. Each time I possess him I am to 'take a dive', each time I shall possess his flesh for shorter and shorter periods of time, until finally I let him stop me from taking control. Creating the illusion that he is stronger than I am. His ego will inflate as will his confidence, he will lower his guard and enter the Forest once again… when the opportunity presents itself, I am to truly possess his flesh and destroy target M. May I slaughter his precious family Master? They annoy me."**_

Satisfied that Beast is aware of what must be done, the Eternal Master nods his eyes. Granting his servant permission to do as he pleases, so long as the orders are followed. _**"Thank you, my Master."**_ Emboldened by the freedom granted to him, Beast rose from the earth, he placed his hand upon the crystal's surface and released a long-held breath. _**"Master… the Knights may have prevented my rebirth the last time you walked this earth, they may have bound me in the Boy's bones, but they have not defeated me. Nothing shall ever defeat me. Nothing shall ever stop me from fulfilling your orders."**_

" **Take no prisoners. Show no mercy. Do not hesitate for even a moment."**

" _ **As you wish, my Master… this time I won't play with my food, I shall simply annihilate them. Every last one will die in your glorious name."**_

" **Go now, my son. Bring me my mother's head… only then will you be strong enough to reclaim your flesh."**

" _ **It will be done, Father… vengeance shall be ours."**_

* * *

Meanwhile in the Void of Nothingness, an alternate dimension within the realm of creation, a single being watched these events unfold. As if he were reading a fanfiction on a website and had access to the writer's notes, and could see the future of the realm of creation.

"I find myself, suddenly, and irrevocably, _**BORED!**_ " Mr. U. cried out, throwing his arms out. His white hair was so long it reached the back of his knees, it was so messy, it appeared to have never felt the touch of a comb or a brush. A black full-length jacket covered his torso and part of his legs, lined with a fur collar, it would certainly keep him warm. Not that he needed it to, for within the void there was nothing. A simple handkerchief resided in his breast pocket, clean and unused. Dog tags hung from his neck, resting against his shirt, what they said could not be known. A black scarf like appendage grew from his neck, remaining stiff and stern above his left shoulder, like much of him, there was little way to be sure of what it really was. An old fashioned top hat sat upon his head, clean and unscathed, it was pristine. Finally, his face was concealed by a white mask with a red streak across the left eye and cheek, much like Beast's, there was a hole for each of his eyes and a space for his mouth.

Mr. U. was omnipresent, he was both nowhere and everywhere all at once, he knew all that happened within the realm of creation and one of his favourite things to watch was the events of The Animal Within: you can't cage the Beast. Today, however, he yawned. Bored by what he saw within its future. "This shit is _BORING!_ It's a fucking landslide victory for the Paladins of Fear!"

The Phantom, otherwise known as Mr. U, twirled on the spot, raising his arms high. "Red's suck a dickhead! Fucker goes rouge and wipes out most of the Knight Masters along with half of Unova! What's he got against Gen five? Then the stupid fucker let's Beast into the Silver Forest!" He blew a raspberry and took a bow, apparently amused by his dance. "Three guesses what happens next! Dum dum dum! Mew's fucking dead! Then her spoiled brat of a son goes and redefines sexual orientation, by fucking the world in the _**ass!**_ Knights are completely destroyed, Beast slaughters Red in their final battle, fucker gets a new body and then the world becomes another one of the Eternal Master's farts! That may be how black holes are formed, but it's _**BORING!**_ "

He dipped his top hat and moonwalked backwards a few paces, mimicking a famous controversial singer. "He-he. Wars are so much more interesting when the combatants are evenly matched!" Suddenly he stopped and yawned again. "This is going to suck donkey balls. Pfft… screw this shit, I'm rewriting history again! Did it before and it made things so much more interesting, I sparked an entire war and created two powerful forces! Wonder what'll happen this time?"

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a large leather-bound book, the Book of Secrets. Its pages contained secrets from the realm of creation, or as some would call it, the universe, it also contained the past, the present and the future of said realm. He began flicking through the pages, searching for the proper section. "Now book of secrets, you're going to show me what I need to change. _DON'T_ insult me again or try to trick me into removing a player from this game you wad of toilet paper! Just gimme what I want or I'll wipe my ass with you… hmmm… WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY MOTHER?! YOU FUCKING BOOK!" Mr. U. tossed the book aside, enraged by the insult it paid him and his non-existent mother, only to pour a tankard of kerosene over it and toss a lit match upon it. "BURN YOU STUPID BOOK! **BURN!** "

Within seconds the Book of Secrets turned to a pile of ashes, burned away by the roaring flames, around which the Phantom danced. "AH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Drago would love this! Where is that psycho anyway? Said he'd be here to find where the shiny shit is!" The Phantom abruptly ceased his dance, realising something had placed itself upon his head. "What the fuck? THAT STUPID BOOK!"

The Book of Secrets, the same one Mr.U. had burned to cinders, was resting upon his head. Perfectly intact and undamaged. Not so much as a moment later he ripped the book from his head and resumed flipping through its pages, searching for the secret that which he desired. "This stupid fucking book, it doesn't even tell me what I want it to half the time. Just tell me what I need to change…! No not that, I need to keep all the players on the board. The game would be boring without them… I don't care if you don't like them you stupid book, they're staying there! Well OK I'll get rid of Clemont and Bonnie, will you work if I do that…? No? You never fucking work right anyway… where's that stupid white fox when you need her?!"

"UUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" He cried out in frustration, swiping the pages of the great book randomly, until he caught sight of a certain something that caught his eye. "Ooooh! What's this?! Did I say the password or something? Ah who the fuck cares?! IT WORKED! I'm changing _that!_ Didn't need that stupid white fox after all! Now let's see, where was it…?"

The Phantom's eyeless face raked across the old, withered pages, probing them for the exact point that he needed to alter. Why was it so easy to find what you want, but so difficult to implement it? It had sometimes bugged the Lord of Nothingness. "Ah ha! There we go. Now things will be more interesting, hmmm… let's make sure Luke gets exactly what he deserves for fucking Lily. Pain. Pain. Pain. More pain… oh why not?! Even more pain! And let's give him a crippling injury that fucks him over for the rest of his life, oh yes I'm going to enjoy watching this! Mustn't forget a little drama, keep things interesting. Hehehehehe. Now that's done, let's take a look at the future!"

Mr.U. quickly tossed the book aside, knowing it would return just as it always did. "Hehehehehe… Dakari you sneaky devil you knew I'd do this, didn't you?! HA! Clever little demon, isn't he? Well at least his vision was correct, Red's going to be _**SO**_ much more fun to screw with now! Hehehehehehe… I do so love fucking with Mew and Arceus' heads, it's so much fun! Now to kick back and watch the magic happen!"

A luxurious armchair made of human bones and skulls formed behind him, he sat upon it without even the slightest hesitation, even rested his feet on a pile of dead children for good measure, and clicked his fingers. The Book of Secrets once again returned to his hand, revealing the secrets it held to its master, the secrets of a changed history. "Ah, much better. Now, let's all watch my favourite show… The Heart of The Beast… ooh there's a new one, The Time Keeper! Oh happy day!"

* * *

 **And that dear reader, is where this piece of shit story comes to an end. In all honesty I'm sad to see this end, but I'm so looking forward to the new stories and everything that comes with them!**

 **Darkrai's vision was a glimpse into the rewrite, Red's powers have changed significantly, he's far more dangerous than ever before now. And Neo has pissed him off!**

 **Sylph and Mr.U. were given by Ultima The Eternal Dragon. Thanks my friend for the OCs and I hope I portrayed them correctly. The other new additions are character versions of my friends. Hope you guys like your designs, if not just let me know and I'll change 'em.**

 **Goodbye my readers, I hope to see you all in The Heart of The Beast & The Time Keeper… Until then, drop one last review, throw a suggestion at my face, kick this fic in the nuts with a good ol' troll… DO WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT!**

 **But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!**

 **Dragon over and out!**


End file.
